One Last Love Story
by Jazyrha
Summary: This is the Last Love Story this Earth knew. Captured in the middle of a disastrous war, can Hikaru save his twin? Can a weapon love? Kaoru once did. HikaKao. AU. Please Review! Hints of HikaHaru and KyouKao. Chapter3: Human Bonds.
1. Cold Night

_**One Last Love Story.**_

…**Chapter One… … Cold Night …**

_- Switching Battle Mode On. Code 0-0-6-_

The moon cannot be killed.

It was his only witness. The only witness that survived. Where he went, blood was spilled and people died. Screams would resound over empty places. Building would crash down, dreams would shatter and blood would stream down. Where he went, the world would end. He was a Death Angel, a Shinigami, a murderer without regret, without feelings.

He was the ultimate weapon.

_- "Look at me; I'm so far away  
Out of the way of rain" -_

The grass was no longer green. Blood colored it in the disgusting red color it had. Trees were cracked, leaning heavily against shattered buildings, like branches, so easily were they taking down. The rain pouring down washed away a little, but it could not make it go away. The blood would stain this earth. Blood would color the night.

No one could stop him. No one could survive. No one could bring him down. He just kept on going. Bullets flew through the air and pierced through human bodies, like it was nothing but paper. One move of his hand was enough to kill another human being. One blink of his eye was enough to make grown up people gasp and stagger back in anguish. He wasn't human anymore. He was a cold, ice cold thing.

He was the ultimate weapon, created by humans, made to kill humans.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Haruhi!"

He didn't even blink his eye when a flash of regret shot through his head. He knew a girl with that name too. He knew a girl that lost her mom and who still wasn't completely over it. And tonight, he'd kill a girl with that name and take her mom away too. There were no footsteps, since his feet were several feet above the ground, his gigantic wings holding him into the air.

_- "Far from the pain, yeah  
And if you see me in your dreams  
Would you still believe  
All that you see, yeah" -_

He wished they hadn't screamed. He could've pretend like he didn't hear them, even when that was a stupid lie. He could hear rain coming from 98 miles away. To be exact, 98.6 miles away. He heard every breath, every trembling muscle.

"Sssh. He can't see us. Sssh, it will all be okay."

If they knew, would they give up? If humans knew that their faith was cruel and they wouldn't survive anyway, would they run? It didn't matter anyway, because they **couldn't **run from him. He would find them anywhere. He would find them even if they ran to the other end of the world. He would find them even if they changed everything about them.

_- "And only you and me, and only you and me  
Well even though I'm not there with you  
It's good to keep me close" -_

He stepped over the cold, ripped apart bodies, slowly making his way to the trembling mother, holding her little child close to her. Her eyes widened in pure anguish and horror as he slowly stepped towards them.

"Please! Please don't" she cried.

Her brown hair was pressed against her face, blood all over her body. Her clothes were ripped and she held onto the little child as it was the only thing there was left. He didn't move a muscle, didn't slow down, and didn't blink. He just continued to make his way to the girl. She was still young. He was sure she would've been a great mother. He was sure that if she lived just long enough, she would've done great things for her child. She got up, pressing the little child closer and started running. It was useless, it was stupid. He would find her anyway. He would kill her anyway.

No one could survive. He couldn't let anyone live. It wasn't allowed. His orders were to kill every living being. The damage on the city had to be as less as possible, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't completed yet, so in the heat of the battle, he destroyed everything around him, without being able to control himself.

_- "I never thought that it would come down to this  
That I would be so missed  
So quickly dismissed, yeah" - _

Blood dripped down his face. It wasn't his blood. No, he didn't bleed anymore. Humans bleed, but weapons don't.

The young woman ran further, faster, her breath sharp and heavy. He followed her, not closing the distance, not reducing it. This game could continue a little longer. He didn't want to go back to that awful base anyway. So he flew after her a little longer, black, bloody wings leading his way.

Her eyes fell on a gun on the ground. He almost laughed hollow, since he knew what would come. She jumped to the gun, picked it up and put the little child on the ground.

"Run, Haruhi! Run until you're saved!"

"But mommy… I…I" brown eyes filled with tears and little hands pulled at her ripped clothing.

"Go! I'll catch up later! Run, Haruhi, run!" the woman yelled and pushed to little child away.

His lips moved in the rhythm of the song he had been singing every single day he killed. It was the song his brother loved. If he only knew what he had become… He clenched a fist and the woman turned around, standing before the now running child protectively. She clenched her hands around the gun, and aimed at him.

"One step closer and I'll shoot!" she screamed, her voice hoarse and full of fear.

_- "I want nothing more than to be with you every home  
yeah; I know it's been so long  
What I did was wrong, yeah" -_

He didn't react. Another step closer to death. She closed her eyes and fired.

**Bang. Bang. Bang. Click…**

The bullets just reflected on his chest, not leaving the slightest wound or scratch. He couldn't be killed by a gun. He couldn't be killed at all. He was a god, a god that only brought death. He could kill everyone in this world with one move of his hand and no one in this whole world could ever kill him. They could shut him down, though, but there was only person who had the permission and skill to do that. And he wouldn't because he created him in the first place.

The woman shrieked and her voice was high and full of disgust and horror. The bullets fell on the ground, little sounds filling the air. The little child still ran. Ran for her little life. Ran for nothing.

He was the ultimate weapon. He couldn't be stopped. His lips sang further, the song that was engraved in his memory because his brother loved it so much. If he only knew, what he was doing here. But he couldn't know. He wouldn't know. Never.

_- "And only you and me, and only you and me  
Well even though I'm not there with you  
It's good to keep me close" - _

The woman continued screaming. Her desperate, disgust screams felt up the air. He was tired of playing. He lifted his hand up in the air.

"No! No! Don't kill her!" she fell to her knees. "I'm begging you! She's innocent! Don't you have a heart?! She's still so young."

The innocent never last. Innocence was a despicable lie. Disgusting and nowhere near the truth. The so called innocent would become impure. Everyone in this world is guilty. It was only a matter of time. He looked at the woman, his eyes cold. She screamed, yelled, shrieked, trembled and shivered, because she knew she was lost. There was no escape and this game could only end with him as a winner. There was no one else who could win this game.

Around his hands a light formed, brighter then the sun, deadlier then a gun. He had to be careful now. He lost control over this power way too many times. But he was still incomplete, so he couldn't help it. The ball around his hand became bigger and bigger and the heat spread. He flew into the air and watched the little child run faster. He could see all the details clearly, from the little darker spot on her nose to the way her clothes wrinkled from the air. Running was useless. She would die anyway. Just as the woman who was screaming there. What he was doing made an incredible sound as well.

_- "Closer to your skin, you gotta keep me deep within  
'Cause where I am right now I couldn't be tomorrow  
Close enough to see, close enough to hear you breathe  
Close enough to feel the warmth of you, 'cause I am so cold" -_

Everything started shaking as his power built up. The earth cried, trembled in complete despair. Building fell down like houses build from cards, trees kneeled at his might. He was a God. He was unstoppable. His gigantic, black wings kept him hanging in the air as he slowly brought his hand down and launched the ball at the city. The earth begged to stop, but he couldn't allow it. And through all the noise the dying earth made, he could hear two heartbeats, very clearly.

**Boom. Boom…**

One last time.

**Boom…**

And then the earth kept silent. The moon was covered by his black wings. Red eyes looked over a broken, shattered city, his infra-red eyes searching for any remaining sign of life. He didn't expect to see anything.

_- "And only in me, and only in me, oh its only in me, yeah  
And even though I'm not there with you  
It's good to keep me close" - _

After he made sure everything was dead down there, he turned around. Soaring through the air, crossing seas and countries, he tried to remember the name of the city he just destroyed. It was in a little country. But he destroyed so many things; he couldn't even remember which city was getting his turn now. In a speed no one could match, his black wings brought him closer and closer to the base.

_- "And even though I'm not there with you  
Its good to keep me close  
And even though I'm not there with you  
It's good to keep me close" -_

_-Task Accomplished. Switching Battle Mode On Stand-By. Returning To Base. I Repeat: Kaoru Hitachiin Is Returning To Base.-_

Kaoru Hitachiin was no longer the name of the boy that used to go to school and have a pretty normal life. Kaoru Hitachiin had become to name of world's most feared weapon. And his brother didn't even know…

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

His words resounded in the little base. A boy with dark hair pushed up his glasses and stood up, his eyes looking at a younger boy staring at a computer screen. Just a kid. Not suited to go to war so just placed behind the computer. War was a cruel thing.

"Inform Yatsuchika Haninozuka and Chujo Morinozuka" he said simply, his dark, low voice disturbing the silence violently.

The boy almost jumped up, the helmet on his head shuffling before his eyes. He quickly pushed it right again and saluted him. A small bow followed.

"Right away, sir!" and then he ran off.

Without a further word he made his way to the outside of the base. Passing wounded soldiers, lamenting in pain, barely able to breath, he once again felt how cruel this war was. People in Japan didn't know. They didn't know that he had to turn one of his … friends… into this weapon. It was a cruel thing to do, but it couldn't be helped. Because of him, because Kaoru fought many lives were spared.

And many people were killed without mercy.

But that also couldn't be avoided. He stood still before an iron door, two guards standing before it. He simply gave them a cold, meaningless smile, nodded and went passed them. There was no need to identify him. No need to tell his name when everyone knew. He was the only one who could break his own rule.

The air outside took control, and cold, wild breeze played with his hair, happy and lively. Almost like the world didn't change at all. He shivered, finding it colder outside then he thought. Around him privates saluted, before continuing their harsh training. Most of them were just kids, too young to be called men. And they were all going to die.

"Kyou-chan! Kyou-chan! I'm so happy Kao-chan is coming back!" a high voice behind him said.

"… You really shouldn't call me 'Kyou-chan' when we're here, Haninozuka" his eyes lowered at the pink bunny pressed against his chest. "And you shouldn't bring that bunny either."

"But Kyou..ya… I love my bunny!" the blonde boy smiled.

"It will only get in the way when you really need to fight, Haninozuka" he said matter-of-factly, cold, and he looked into the air again.

Honey was the name used at school, when they were just boys and their world was still innocent. Haninozuka was the name used when in the army, the place the world ended and hope crashed. He didn't like to be called 'Kyou' here. It made him think things weren't serious at all. Like things hadn't changed. Like everything was still normal.

It was dark. Already late. The moon shined plain, almost depressing light onto the ground. The three men, the blonde boy, the dark hair boy who pushed up his glasses again and the tall boy who stood there like a shadow, were all waiting for the same person. Well, a person. He was the ultimate weapon now. Their only change for victory.

But Kyou-chan, I don't have to fight! Because Kaoru will save us all!" he laughed happily, but the cold sounded through.

They stood on a large street, which served as landing field. However, helicopters and airplanes never landed there. It was only served for him. It was far away from the building, so they didn't have to be afraid his large wings would accidentally smash through something. On both sides of the street, there were men waiting, ready to moist his wings and his mechanic body. To prevent overheating and to lower the stress on his body.

Kyouya didn't answer anymore, but just looked into the sky. Quickly his eyes were followed by the brown of the little boy and the black ones of the tall boy that stood there the whole time, like a shadow.

"Does he… does he have another mission tonight?" Honey asked after some time.

"No. Not tonight." The short, cold answer came.

"That's good" and this time the smile was true.

The world becomes dark. Immediately they all look up again and the men across the street start whispering. This would be the first time they see him. That ultimate weapon. His black wings covered the pale moon, the light behind him making the sight even more impressive. If you forget that in that body once a human lived and he endured incredible pain, then it was quiet a beautiful sight. He was an Angel. He was a God. Where he went, death followed. He was immortal, untouchable. He was a Hero. He would save Japan for sure.

His feet touched the ground and immediately the order to moist his wings was given. He smiled at the boys waited for him, his eyes still sparkling. The order to stop resounded over the empty place.

Kyouya walked to him and smiled.

"Good work."

It was the greeting he always got. He just smiled back. It didn't hurt him anymore. At first his stomach turned and he felt like crying, screaming and running away. He felt like hitting Kyouya's face until his cheek started bleeding. How could he call it 'good work' when people died? When cities were destroyed? When Earth itself begged him to stop? But he knew it wasn't Kyouya's fault at all. It wasn't Honeys fault either. It wasn't that of Mori. He was the one who killed after all, so if they should blame someone, it would be him.

"It's okay, you can switch it off."

Immediately, like a built in reflex, his eyes scanned the person in front of him, even when he already knew it was him. It just happened automatically. It was programmed in his brain to do so. He shivered.

_- Identified Kyouya Ootori. Switching Off Battle Mode.-_

Kyouya was just the one who made his body this way, who made sure the chips and cables and little devices worked as they should. He was just the one who made his body this deadly.

Honey was just the one who trained him and taught him all the martial arts skills he possessed. He just taught him how to kill, how to break people's ribs, how to get quick on your feet.

And Mori just watched. He sometimes taught him kendo-techniques. But Kyouya said that wasn't really necessary, because after all, he wouldn't fight with a sword.

"Thank you, Kyouya-senpai" was all he answered.

Getting upset wasn't helping him. And beside, there was no reason to be upset. Because in only a few more moments he would return to his beloved brother and he would listen to his voice. Oh, and Haruhi would be there too. He liked her. Not in the way his brother did, though.

"Need any reparations?" a cool question.

He nodded and he smiled. He somehow was happy. Maybe because his twin and Haruhi finally admitted being a couple. Well, he knew all along of course. His eyes saddened only a moment when he thought about how they used to have no secrets at all.

But his brother couldn't know this. No, this was something complete different.

"My right wing has been damaged a little, it's nothing bad, but I thought I should say it."

"Follow me please, I'll repair your wing again" and then Kyouya turned around and Kaoru followed.

He turned around and waved to Honey and Mori. Then he continued following Kyouya all the way through the base. He saluted the soldiers and gave them a small smile. Widened eyes and silence was all he left behind him. He could hear the whisper.

"Hey, that's him…"

"Is that the boy who destroyed that city?"

"But he's just a kid!"

"I thought he'd be different."

"Oh… Look at those wings…"

"The ultimate weapon, huh?"

His hands clenched around the green fabric of his army clothes. He kept smiling, hoping they would just shut up. They didn't understand. Kyouya gave them a deadly glare and they kept silent. As Kyouya pushed open a large door, Kaoru looked one last time over his shoulders at the surprised and amazed gazes of the privates standing there. They had no idea. He wasn't anything to be proud of. He was a disgusting, cold blooded killer.

"Go sit there" Kyouya said, gesturing at the chair in the room.

Kaoru nodded and sat down. Kyouya walked over to a table and searched for the tools he needed. Silence filled the room and Kaoru switched uneasy. His eyes went to the clock, hanging on the room. Kyouya liked knowing time. Time was everything for humans, he once said. It didn't matter to him anymore. He wouldn't age anymore, because this face, this body… it was all just like a doll. A doll doesn't age. Because it's just fake and plastic. He was fake and metal. Or something like that. And his brother didn't even know…

"Do I… Do I have a task tonight? Another one?" he brought himself to speak.

"No" he simply answered, lifting something up and walking back to the sixteen-year old boy, his wings bowed a little, carefully not to smash anything around.

"That's good" a smile crossed his face, "I promised Hikaru to be home. Since Haruhi was coming and he wanted me to be there too."

He didn't even wince, when Kyouya cut in his wing, poking in it with a scissor, trying to pull some bullet out. He concentrated on his work. His wings were pretty delicate and a part of his body. So he felt the pain too.

"Kyouya…"

Kyouya didn't even react. He knew the question that was coming now. It always came. It was probably the only question that was still in his mind. It was probably the only thing he cared about. It was the reason he sacrificed everything. His stomach turned a little at the thought of that. This was wrong. He turned a boy of barely sixteen years old into a monster. His parents agreed though. Maybe that made it all even worse. And the way he still could only think about his brother. Kyouya pressed his lips together, until it was a straight line, concentrating on hurting him as little as possible.

"Do you think Hikaru would hate me if he knew?"

What could he say? That yes, he thought that Hikaru would freak out and never want to talk to him again? What did he know anyway? He couldn't understand them. He would admit that any moment. He didn't want to understand them either. It would make it all worse. It would make this horrible thing he did even more disgusting.

"You are only doing what needs to be done" his bloody hands stopped and he let another bullet fall into a little cup standing there.

"But… But… I'm not human anymore" he said, staring before him.

Kyouya felt the burning feeling in his stomach growing stronger. It was wrong. Disgusting. But it couldn't be avoided. He washed his hands, and took some black feathers. He walked back and carefully stitched the wound with the feathers.

"There are many things that define us as humans" he answered.

He never felt like this before, but for the first time in his life he really… felt sorry for the boy. Such things weren't supposed to happen to people like him. He could've been anything; he could've chased his dreams. But instead he was bound down. Kyouya felt like he killed the boy. And for some reason it made him sick, even when no one would ever notice. Kaoru smiled at him. Kyouya shivered.

"Thank you" his smile widened.

And inside him, Kyouya felt even colder.

"You're really a nice person, actually" he laughed, but it didn't sound as hollow and empty as Kyouya thought it should be.

"You're a really strong person, actually" he replied, turning his back to the younger boy and laying everything back.

"Eh?" he heard him standing up. "Thank you."

"Your body is handling the changes better then I though it would" Kyouya added, making it seem he meant that.

He wasn't just stronger then he thought he would be. He was amazing. Almost so strong it made him feel sick. He lost everything. He wasn't even human anymore. He had to swallow pills and do it secretly so his beloved brother wouldn't notice. He killed people and Kyouya knew he couldn't take that. The first time he shivered all over, covered in blood. Then he closed his eyes and starting singing that song. That song Hikaru seemed to like.

Because they made him think of that strong person. That boy that gave up everything to protect one soul, one living being on this earth. He didn't know why he cared so much or felt like that was so … beautiful of him, but he did.

"If I was Hikaru… I'd be proud to have a twin like you" he turned around and smiled.

Kaoru's smile widened even more and for a second he looked like a little kid, who was just told he was a good boy and mommy was proud of him. He didn't look so deadly, he didn't look like a cold blooded killer. He just looked like a boy. Just like Kaoru always looked like.

"Shall I bring you back?" he asked when the silence last too long.

"But… wouldn't they miss you here? I mean…" Kaoru looked away.

"Because of you here there is nothing to fear. We'll be safe until tomorrow" he pushed himself away from the table.

Kaoru's stomach turned at that sentence. Why couldn't he just say that they'd be safe for ever? That tonight it ended and tomorrow he didn't have to kill anymore? Killing made him sick. He hated blood. Hikaru would've laughed and told him how stupid he was for doing the thing he was so scared of. If it hurt you, why doing it? But Hikaru would never say those words to him, because he would never know. He'll never know that Kaoru sacrificed his own body for him, that he killed for him, and that he did this all just to make sure he would be safe. No one is safe. He knew now. Safety was just another lie humans made, to keep their minds from freaking out.

"Oh, here is your uniform, like you asked" Kyouya handed him the blue clothes over.

"Thank you" Kaoru smiled.

Kyouya smiled back. Then Kaoru bowed his wings back and they disappeared in his shoulders, like they never existed. The purple scars slowly faded and then there was nothing left expect for the two whole's in his army clothes that testified of the black wings.

"It's funny how it just disappears even when it's so gigantic. You made a good toy there" Kaoru smiled, taking off his T-shirt.

That disgust feeling of sorrow felt Kyouya's stomach again. When he saw the boy smiling like that, talking about himself like he was a toy, he felt like running away and just leaving it all behind. This was too much. Even for him. This was just plain wrong and disgusting. He turned a human into a robot. He destroyed Kaoru's life. He wished he would've refused. He wished he wasn't so selfish. He wished Kaoru wasn't so selfless.

It was his entire fault that he started to care. Seeing a boy so completely selfless, so devoted to someone who had just changed him. People like him always change on the wrong moments. If he was still like he was before, he wouldn't have cared. So what if Kaoru used to be human? So what if he was one of his friends? If it would give him a better place in the world, he wouldn't step back for anything. And then it happened, then he figured out who Kaoru really was. He was such an amazing person and he never knew. He only saw the trouble they caused, the effort he had to put into calming Tamaki or the times his heart skipped a few beats when he thought of all the damage done by them. But he never saw the way they cared about each other.

And now he finally saw, he wished he could close his eyes.

"You're not a toy" he answered.

"Ah, no. I guess a weapon isn't a toy" he smiled, putting his uniform T-shirt back on. "You wouldn't give me to a child."

And he didn't know anything to say to that. He didn't know how to tell that boy standing there, with a gigantic scar on his chest, with wings that could sprout out of his back, with powers beyond humanity… no, he just didn't know how to tell that boy that he was still human. He learned how to voice smart arguments, how to make people believe your stories, how to make people talk, but he never learned how to voice feelings for someone else.

He wanted to say so much, but instead he kept silent. An emotional and worried Kyouya was the last he needed now. Like things didn't change enough already.

Kaoru balanced on one leg, trying to get his pants back on.

"You know what I hate the most?" Kaoru grinned hopping around on one leg.

Kyouya took him by his shoulder to keep him steady in one place. Kaoru just smiled thankfully.

"What is it?" Kyouya said.

"That we can't take a vacation" he laughed at that.

Kyouya smiled a little.

"Good to see that your silly jokes are still intact" he said, looking away.

He used to think he was silly, but not anymore. It wasn't silly to pretend like nothing was wrong; it was the only thing that could keep you alive. Accepting that you were only a lost cause hurt actually more, Kyouya remarked. Having a spark of hope, someone to live for… it was the only thing that could keep them warm in the ice cold nights. It was only because Kaoru was so strong that Kyouya didn't left this base already.

Kaoru grinned, finally in his pants.

"What about my offer?" Kyouya asked again, his hands still on the younger Hitachiin twin.

"Only because you insist so much" he grinned.

Then he kept silence.

"But what if Hikaru sees you in those army clothes?"

"I think my uniform lies here too" Kyouya turned around and found the clothes a little later.

He put them on and laid his army uniform neatly down. Without a further word he pushed the door open. At the first private he saw, he said: "Tell Yatsuchika Haninozuka he's in charge while I'm gone."

He wasn't asked whereto he was gone. The man saluted, bowed and ran off. Kaoru followed him with his eyes. He was so happy Hikaru didn't know anything about this world. He was so happy he didn't know about the underground bases, the night assaults, the young boys that were killed so easily. He was so happy his brother was still innocent. He wouldn't deserve this. No matter what, Kaoru wanted to protect his brother from this cruel world. He never wanted him to know how awful this world really was. He wanted his brother to stay like he was now.

So for now, he was happy there was Kyouya to talk to. He was happy that when he landed down he saw him standing there, waiting for him, and telling him he did something good even when they both knew killing people wasn't good. He liked Kyouya more and more everyday and he was happy that he was there.

"Kyouya?" he asked, as they were alone walking through the dark.

"Yes?" he answered.

"I'm glad we get to know each other better" he kept silence for a while. "Even when it's under these circumstances. And I'm… I'm not mad at you for making me this… Well, of course I agreed… but…"

His voice failed him when he felt his hand grabbed by Kyouya. There was no answer and other then that no reaction. Kaoru kept silent and followed him through the dark. The buildings rose up high and he was glad he didn't have to walk through that alone. It was so stupid, but he felt really scared alone in the dark, even when no one on earth could possibly hurt him. Maybe it was because he was used to being with someone, always, for ever, every single second. The thoughts of that person made his stomach turn in a good way. His cold body warmed up again.

In the whole world, there wasn't a more beautiful person as his brother.

And he got to be with him, everyday. He got to be his twin. He was born with him on the same day and they looked exactly like each other. It was the greatest happiness in his life. He just wished his twin didn't feel the same, because then his world would crash down when he found out what for a being he actually was.

"Ah there it is. Right where I left it" Kyouya voice pierced through the dark. He still held Kaoru's hand.

The dark wasn't a obstacle to see for Kaoru. His eyes could see through walls. He had so many kinds of visions he forgot all the names. There wasn't a thing he couldn't see. Infra-red, X-ray… he had them all. At first it scared him, seeing everything when he was supposed to see nothing, but he got used to it. He got used to being a weapon. Kyouya gestured at the little motor cycle, with the insigne of the army. He walked to it, giving a helm to Kaoru.

"Thank you" he said politely. It was nice when people pretended he was still human.

"I have to think of your safety, no?" the sarcastic answer came.

Kaoru laughed.

"You never know. A design flaw" he grinned.

"There are no flaws in my designs" Kyouya answered smiling, getting on the motor cycle. "I made you flawless. Perfect."

"Well, thank you!" Kaoru said and sat down behind him.

He wrapped his arms around Kyouya's waist. Kyouya shivered at the cold touch. Humans feel warm, but since the temperature outside was cold, Kaoru felt cold too. He felt so cold Kyouya wanted to throw up, but he didn't. He couldn't. Kaoru always smiled. That smile only left his face once. Kyouya started the motor cycle and the cold came down on them. Kaoru's grip tightened.

"Hikaru loves riding fast" he said, over the noise the motor made.

Kyouya focused on the road.

"I'm not driving fast" he answered absently.

The streets were empty. Everyone was inside. Only the lights of a few lampposts prevented the streets from getting completely dark. Kyouya raced through the streets, indeed, a little faster then was legal. But he didn't really care. He wouldn't get caught. He wouldn't care. He was done with just obeying people. It made him turn his friend into a monster. He smirked in himself when he thought that he was more traumatized by that then Kaoru was. It didn't make sense. He didn't make sense to himself anymore.

War changes people. Mistakes changes people. And Kyouya was going through war and he made a terrible mistake. It was no miracle he changed.

"You know, when it's so peaceful outside, you'd barely think it's war, would you? I mean… everything and everyone seems so quiet and happy" Kaoru laid his head against Kyouya's back, closing his eyes. "If they only knew how much people died…"

He wanted to say something to make the sadness go away, but the only thing Kyouya managed to whisper was Kaoru's name. He just couldn't say more. Just couldn't find the words to make a weapon cheer up. What to say to someone who saw the cruelty of this world, he was backstabbed by his own friends? He wanted to apologize, to tell him he was sorry for putting him through this.

But it wouldn't change anything, he knew. It wouldn't make him happy. He was way too kind to be happy when someone else apologized. He'd probably think that if it was so bad Kyouya apologized he was about to die. Kyouya shivered again. Should he tell him?

"Are you cold?" Kaoru asked. "You're shivering."

"I'm okay…" he said, his eyes still road and he couldn't help it but laugh a little.

"Why are you laughing?" the question immediately came.

"Nothing… I just… I just remarked that you're always talking about other persons. Always asking about others. What about you, are you cold? You're shivering too" he answered back.

The cold bit in his face. Luckily the Hitachiin mansion wasn't much further. And then he could return to that base… Disgusting. He hoped Kaoru would be able to end this war soon. He hoped his life would be normal soon.

"I just… I don't like to talk about myself" he kept silent. "And I haven't felt cold or warm or anything since… uhm… I've become this."

Kyouya almost slipped in the turn they made. Immediately Kaoru stretched his one hand out and pushed to motorcycle back up. Both didn't say a word. Kyouya felt his heart racing and not from the fear from falling. He didn't like it, that feeling welling up in his chest. He whished he just didn't care about Kaoru at all. Kaoru brought his hand back to Kyouya's waist, his fingers clenching around the fabric of his T-shirt. He sighed, laid his forehead on his back.

"Sorry" he said after some time.

"I wouldn't know what there is to apologize for" a silence. "You've done nothing wrong."

Kaoru stared at his back.

"Neither did you" he whispered back. "To be honest… I was… I was really happy when I heard it was you who was going to… to make my body different. Because… Because I knew I could trust you."

Such kind words. Kyouya bit his lip as the feeling only got worse. Why, why did he have to be so kind? Why was the way he pretended everything did was alright, so sad in his eyes? Why couldn't he just let it go already? It couldn't be avoided. It needed to be done. He was just the one who did it, the one who invented it. If he wouldn't have done it, someone would've.

Yes, it would've happened anyway. There was nothing that could avoid it.

He stopped. Kaoru got off the motor cycle.

"Thank you" Kyouya suddenly said, looking away.

Kaoru felt his cheeks color and he couldn't find a reason why. He hopped from one leg to the other, nervous for some reason. Maybe it was because he never saw Kyouya so… kind? He was always harsh and matter-of-factly, as cold as the air outside now was. But since he worked together with him at the base he changed. Kaoru changed too. Kyouya's kindness was there, in all gestured he did, but it was just so invisible and subtle no one ever noticed. But he noticed now and it became more obvious every day.

"It's just the truth…" he whispered back. "Thank you for bringing me home. I wouldn't have liked walking around in those dark streets alone."

"You don't need to be scared" Kyouya smiled as Kaoru handed him the helmet over again.

"I know. But I don't like being alone" he answered again.

"No one likes being alone" and there it was again.

"Well, then… I'll be going… Hikaru is probably waiting…" Kaoru turned around.

He made a few steps then turned around and smiled at Kyouya again.

"See you tomorrow!" then he turned around and walked away again.

"Goodnight" he screamed over his shoulder, before disappearing inside.

Kyouya's dark eyes followed the boy behind its glasses, until he smashed the door closed behind him. He clenched his hand around the helmet Kaoru gave him. He bit his lip as the terribly cold feeling took over again. A single tear threatened to fall, but didn't as the cold froze it almost immediately. The cold bit through his clothes. But he didn't care.

Kaoru never deserved this. And he was sorry for doing that to him nevertheless.

"Goodnight, Kaoru…"

Then he drove off as the world became a little colder.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Hikaru looked down from the window at the scene happening.

"Is that Kyouya-senpai?" he asked.

The girl behind him took a step closing, looking too. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to identify the boy talking to his twin.

"I think so" she answered.

A silence.

"Kaoru's with Kyouya a lot lately, isn't he" Haruhi said, her eyes going to the displeased face of her boyfriend.

"Yeah…" he answered and sighed.

The door was smashed open.

"Ha-ru-hi!" it happily sounded. "Hi-ka-ru!"

Hikaru turned around, watching his brother jump inside. He immediately smiled. It wasn't like it wasn't fun when only Haruhi was around, but he just loved his brother so much when he had that happy smile and he jumped around like a complete fool. He loved the way he always seemed to brighten up his day, make the room a little warmer. There was no one who could compare with his brother. No one.

"Was that Kyouya outside?" Hikaru smirked.

Kaoru's cheeks immediately colored red.

"Y-Yes" he said.

Haruhi laughed a little. Hikaru's eyes lightened up. His smirk widened.

"He brought you home? My, my isn't he a gentleman" he walked to his brother who's face was now all red.

"I-I-It's not like that" he whined.

"You like him, don't you!" Hikaru poked his brother who started laughing.

"Haruhiiiiii, help mee! Tell him I don't like Kyouya! You believe me, right?" Kaoru could say between the fits of laughter.

"Well, you **are **hanging around with him a lot lately" Haruhi said and Hikaru's hands where everywhere on Kaoru's body.

"That's not helping!" Kaoru screamed while he tried to get away from his brother.

"Just admit, just admit!" Hikaru sang through the room.

"Ew! Don't make me think about it! Not Kyouya!" he faked a shiver, "that would just be too wrong."

"… You guys are always wrong" Haruhi suddenly said.

The poking stopped and Hikaru and Kaoru both looked at the girl. They didn't need words, they didn't need a start sign, they didn't need to look at each other, they just knew. On exact the same moment they both jumped at the girl. Haruhi found herself on the bed any moments later, with pillows flying everywhere.

Hikaru grabbed a pillow and started the pillow fight. His brother's laughter filled the room and soon his followed; until even Haruhi was laughing that it hurt. Hikaru watched his brother for a moment but when he got hit with a pillow he quit his musing over his brother.

Things were just better when Kaoru was there.

And he didn't notice how cold his brother felt. He didn't notice how much his brother struggled with controlling his power and not hitting anyone too much. He didn't even notice his sad look when the pillow ripped and feathers were flying around. Haruhi didn't notice either, since she was too busy with surviving the overactive twins that seemed to like the way pillows ripped.

About an hour later they collapsed on the bed, ribs hurting from the laughter, tired from the fight. Feathers lay everywhere. The bed was large enough for the three of them. Hikaru's head rested on Kaoru's stomach and his hand was holding Haruhi's. Kaoru was stroking his hair gently and Haruhi was just too tired to do anything.

"We were supposed to watch a movie" Hikaru said after so time.

"Hmhhhm" Kaoru answered.

"I'm too tired" Haruhi answered.

"Then next time" Hikaru smiled.

"Yeah..." Kaoru answered.

"Okay then" Haruhi answered.

"… That wasn't enthusiastic" Hikaru complained.

"Maybe she doesn't want to see you anymore" Kaoru joked.

A sigh was all they got from reply from Haruhi.

"That's mean!" Hikaru shouted, getting up. "She loves me!"

"Or she says she does, but she actually loves me, but she can't tell us apart and…" Kaoru kept silent. "Why does that make me think of that blonde girl?"

Hikaru's grin changed in a laugh. He snuggled close to his brother, who wrapped an arm around him as a reflex. Pulling him a little closer, he laughed too.

"Which blonde girl?" Haruhi asked, looking at the identical boys.

"Asakura-chan!" they said in unison.

"Hm?" she encouraged them to tell further.

"Well, in middle school, when girls confessed to one of us, they mostly said the other would be good too. And well" Hikaru sighed. "That doesn't really matter. But one day, we were bored …"

"… Which happens too often" Haruhi interrupted.

Hikaru just smirked and continued his story: "and then she came. I think it was Kaoru she originally confessed to and to kill the boredom he actually began a relation with her. But when he didn't feel like going I just went and visa versa..."

"… She never even noticed" Kaoru ended the story. "It was really funny to see her face every time."

"That's cruel! The poor girl!" Haruhi got up.

"It's not cruel" they said in unison again. "And besides, isn't it cruel that she doesn't know which one she's dating?"

Haruhi kept silent for a while. "I guess."

"Good girl" Kaoru laughed.

Hikaru shivered.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked as he shivered too.

"N-Nothing" Hikaru said.

He got up and smiled.

"Let's see that movie anyway!" he exclaimed and jumped of the bed.

"As long as I don't have to get up" Haruhi yawned.

Kaoru and Hikaru started laughing at the exact same moment. Sometimes, when things were like this, it was hard to think anything changed. It was hard to believe he wasn't even human anymore and his brother was living a lie because of him. It was hard to watch things so happy and peaceful. When he heard his brother laugh like that, when the happiness and innocence was overflowing he wanted to turn around and run. Just run. Just disappear from this little planet. Then he'd fly away with his wings and he'd watch him from a distance. Then his brother didn't need to live with the pain that his own twin betrayed him. Then he'd just be sad because he was gone, but he would be happy with Haruhi.

And if they got kids later, they'd give him his name. And everything when Hikaru'd watch that kid play around, he'd think of him.

Then no one needed to be hurt. Then no one needed to see the cruelty of this world.

"Kaoru?" Haruhi's voice brought him back to reality.

"Ah, sorry" he smiled, looking at her. "Did you say something?"

She shook her head.

"No, not really" she answered back. "You just looked sad."

"Sad?" he looked away from her, forcing a smile, "I'm not sad."

He jumped up and bowed to her.

"How could I be sad when I can spend time with someone as wonderful as you?" he grinned.

"Okay… now you sound just like Tono" Hikaru said over his shoulder, as he tried to get the TV in their room working.

Haruhi's mouth just fell open as she watched how overly large the thing was. She yawned again and her eyes flew over the clock. It was late already. Winter would come soon. But inside here it was cozy and warm and she was happy to be here.

"Ouch, that hurt" Kaoru laughed back, jumping to his brother, sitting down next to him.

It was then that Haruhi's smile turned into a scream and her eyes widened. Her hand was on her mouth just as sudden as the scream filled the room. Hikaru and Kaoru jumped up and turned around, in exact the same movements.

"What's wrong?!" they both asked.

"K-K-Kaoru… You're…" she shook her head and regained some self control. "You're soaked in blood!"

Hikaru's eyes widened instantly as he grabbed his brothers shoulders. Watching his brother shrink back from pain, made him sick. He bit his lip and then saw the red drops coloring his shirt. Kaoru just gave him a weak smile back.

"It's nothing… Don't worry" and with those words he released himself.

"I'll just change clothes and then it's all over" he jumped away, but his brother grabbed his hand.

"What happened?" his voice sounded so cold Kaoru shivered.

Haruhi stood up as well. It was amazing how fast the warmth of the room could leave, how fast the world turned around. It was amazing how he could destroy everything. He wanted to cry, to scream and tell him that it were his wings, yes, his **wings **that were bleeding. But he couldn't. So he just searched for a lie in his head.

"I-I… I don't know" he answered, lying.

Hikaru's grip tightened. His eyes narrowed and he watched the dark red spots widen on his brother's shirt. His heart raced faster that he thought it could, but he didn't show his fear. He controlled himself, holding his twin's cold hand in his warm one. He hated it when Kaoru tried to lie to him. It was useless and it hurt him. It hurt him that Kaoru couldn't trust him.

"Don't lie" he bit back.

Everyone was silent. Haruhi didn't move a muscle anymore, couldn't think of something to say to make the situation lighter. Kaoru just felt tears burning and the pain became worse. He just wanted to scream and tell him he was sorry. He wanted to tell him everything and he wanted Hikaru to say everything would be fine. But instead he just stood there, shivering and bleeding.

"Don't you dare to lie to me!" Hikaru shouted and he could care less about Haruhi's frightened look.

"I… I can't tell you" Kaoru answered, his voice interlaced with pain. "You can't help me."

With those words, Hikaru was defeated. His hand slid of the hand of his twin and he stared when his brother made his way to the bathroom. He felt tears form in his eyes, but forbid them from falling. He wasn't going to cry.

Haruhi walked up to him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"No" he answered, looking at her. "I'm not alright when my brother looks like he is going to die and he doesn't even want to tell me. And you know what's even worse?"

Haruhi took his hand, trying to calm him, but it was no use.

"It's not the first time. This has been going on for weeks! He comes home late and his clothes are ripped and there are bruises all over his body and then I have to pretend nothing happened!" he clenched his hand in a fist. "And when I ask him what happened he just lies and lies and lies! Like I wouldn't notice that!"

"… Maybe it's really better that you don't know? He'll tell you when he could" Haruhi said, hoping to get that hurt look of Hikaru's face.

"That makes it even worse" his voice was nothing then a worried whisper now. "Because what could be so bad and cruel in this world that he doesn't trust me enough to tell it?"

And Haruhi couldn't answer that. She could only shiver and hug Hikaru tight, hoping that Kaoru would be alright. Hoping that both of them would be alright. Because if there was something wrong with Kaoru, then there was something wrong with Hikaru too. It was just a rule, just a thing this universe made.

"K-Kaoru?" Hikaru recalled, but he got no answer. "We'll watch the movie without you if you don't hurry up."

Haruhi smiled to Hikaru.

"H-Hai! I'll be there right away!" the shaky answer came.

"Is it bad?" Hikaru couldn't help but ask.

"Ah, no! It looked a lot worse then it is! Now you just focus on Haruhi! She's our guest after all!" his voice was shaking and even when he tried to sound happy, the pain was sounding through.

No one believed him. Kaoru didn't expect them to believe it anyway. He knew it would hurt if they bought it. Everything hurt. He destroyed everything and it couldn't be repaired anymore.

He heard the sound of the movie playing loudly, even when in fact it was quite soft. He just heard everything too well. His head hurt from the sounds everyday. He heard his brother's heart race with fear, heard him tremble slightly. He laid the shirt with the bloodstains away and inspected his body in the mirror. The purple signs on his shoulders were tore apart, and blood was dripping down. And there, if you watched closely, he could see black feathers. He shivered.

Hikaru shivered too. Haruhi just stroke his hair again and said Kaoru would be fine.

Kaoru quickly grabbed the phone and dialed the number without even watching. It wasn't long before he heard the voice on the other side of the line.

"Yes?"

"It's uhm… Kaoru…" he tried to keep his voice from shaking.

"What's the problem Kaoru?" he still sounded cold.

"My…" he looked at the door and whispered, "My wings started bleeding."

Silence.

"Pay me a visit tomorrow. I'll fix you" was the answer he got. "Before school, okay?"

"Y-Yes…" Kaoru answered.

"See you tomorrow" he couldn't see the small smile around his lips.

"See you" he answered back.

The line went dead and Kaoru felt alone. He laid the phone back and tried to bandage his own shoulders as good as possible. He couldn't ask his brother or a nurse or his mom. He was alone. All alone. He quickly changed and was happy when he saw it stopped bleeding. He glanced at the shirt. He felt his heart skipping a beat when the bloodstains were neatly in the form of two wings. He clenched his hand and prayed to anyone who would hear him that this would end soon.

He didn't want to be like this. He didn't want to hurt his twin like this. He wanted to be Kaoru once again.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Hikaru's head was in his lap, his hand reaching over his legs to hold Haruhi's hand. Kaoru didn't even pretend to watch the movie. He just looked at his brother, sleeping so peacefully.

"He always does that" he said, smiling to Haruhi.

She looked back and gave him a smile back.

"Falling asleep for the TV?" she asked.

Kaoru nodded, his eyes flying back to his brother. His hand ran through his hair. He smiled.

"I don't know why, but he never watches the ending of movies. He sleeps before it ends. Always" he didn't add that he only loved watching movies so much, because his brother would curl up beside him and lay his head on his chest or lap.

Haruhi kept silent, not really knowing what to say. She just watched the movie reaching the end. When the screen turned black and the names were playing, she stood up.

"I better go, before my dad starts to worry" she smiled.

Kaoru nodded. Haruhi closed her jacket again and almost turned away, but Kaoru's words stopped her.

"Haruhi… I'm… I'm really happy we met you" he looked away and it was obvious to see he had difficulty voicing what he was trying to say. "I'm really happy my brother loves you."

Haruhi just kept silent, but something in his voice scared her.

"Because…" he still stared at his twin's face, "because… if I die now… he wouldn't be alone anymore."

Haruhi's eyes widened a little.

Kaoru's eyes stayed on his twin's face, but he trembled slightly as he continued: "Even if I wouldn't be there anymore, he wouldn't be alone. He has you now. He can be happy with you now…"

"Kaoru…" she whispered and some kind of fear was sounding through.

He looked like he was snapped back to reality. He smiled at her. Haruhi suppressed her shiver when she saw how obvious he was faking that smile. She could hear Hikaru's desperate words from a few hours ago rushing through her head again and once more she became scared. Because really, what could be so awful that it made Kaoru talk about death so easily, that it made Haruhi shiver and Hikaru nearly cry?

"Sorry" he said. And after a while he added: "Don't tell Hikaru how weird I actually am." Another silence. "He'll find out anyway. Soon enough."

Then the forced smile came back: "See you tomorrow!"

"Y-Yeah… See you tomorrow" Haruhi mumbled.

She turned around before he could say another word, the dark feeling in her chest spreading. His words haunted her, and she was scared. She was scared that there was something wrong with Kaoru and no one could help him anymore. She felt like it couldn't be alright anymore. Rushing from the stairs, almost falling in her attempt to be as quick as possible, she didn't look back once. She waved a quick goodbye to Hikaru and Kaoru's mother, who was working in her office. The maids opened the door for her and for the first time she didn't give them a polite thank you back, she just rushed out the door.

She wanted to be gone, gone from that place. She wanted to be as far away from that look in Kaoru's eyes as possible. She wanted to stop the tears that burned in her eyes, the fear spreading in her chest.

Haruhi didn't walk home. She ran.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

* * *

Heeeey! This is me again! Yay! I hope you enjoyed my first chapter! Yeah, this story is going to be a little different then the previous because well, Kaoru is a weapon now. I'll explain more in later chapters XD Should I put this under Sci-Fi or Fantasty or something?

This turned out to be a lot longer then I thought it would XD So I decided to stop here and put the rest in another chapter. Ideas are always welcome. And yeah... there are going to be hints of KyouyaxKaoru... because... because... I LIKE THAT PAIRING! XD Don't ask me why, I just like it for some reason. I was eating sandwiches and suddenly I though: "Omfg, Kyouya and Kaoru are MEANT to be together" ... Seriously... it did go like that. And now I like it. And of course there are hints of Hikaru x Haruhi -shivers- which I don't like at all, but anyway. Poor Haruhi, scared the girl. Yeah, I know... a screaming Haruhi? But hey, I think it's pretty scary to see a friend of you with a lot of blood on his T-shirt and he doesn't even react. I would scream and I don't scream easily... so... well... XD And please don't hate me when some of the chars become a ,little OOC, I just can't help it XD

Ah, the song is "Keep Me Close" from Chris Daughtry. I thought it was quite fitting. Ah, and I don't know their ages ... but let's say they're sixteen, okay? XD

Oh, before I forget. The things in _italic_ and between -- are the song lyrics, the things Kaoru sings. Yes he sings them XD And the things that are _italic and underlined_ and between -- are the things his programming says. You know, like you have those pc's on tv that say: "you have mail" and stuff XD

**Please, please, pretty pleaaaaaaaaaaaaase review! XD I really love reviews! **

**_And there here comes the credits to Hoenn! _**

Yay! I'm so happy she wants to BETA my story again! She helped me with the sumarry too! I really suck at making sumarries... but she gave me a few ideas!


	2. Secrets Revealed

_**One Last Love Story.**_

…**Chapter Two… … Secrets Revealed …**

The moon still watched. Kaoru lay next to his brother, but he wasn't sleeping. He was waiting. Waiting for the time to come and leave. He just stared at the ceiling, waiting until the moon would collapse and the sun would take over his role. His eyes constantly flew back to the clock, listening to its soft ticking. He wanted the time to stand still and at the same time it had to go faster. Hikaru was still soundly asleep, curled up next to him, his one leg over his waist and his other pressed against his hip and his leg. One hand was holding his, fingers entwined, resting on the place where Kaoru's heart was supposed to be. Kaoru tried not to shudder as he thought about that.

His twin felt so warm and in his sleep he pulled Kaoru closer, as in an unconscious attempt to try to warm up his twin. It was no use, Kaoru knew. It was no use because only humans feel warm. That's why they were humans. He closed his eyes and he hoped that he could forget everything except for his lovely twin. The pain stroke him again, the guilt of what he did. He was the only reason for living. Without really paying attention to it, Kaoru slowly lifted his arm and caressed his twin's cheek. There was nothing more beautiful in the world then his twin, so peacefully asleep. He made Kaoru believe things would really be alright.

His eyes flew back to the clock. It was time to go. Time to leave this perfectly frozen feeling of being alright and time to step back into the harsh reality. Weapons just don't have happy endings. He got on his feet quick and softly, not waking his twin. He didn't want to disturb his peaceful sleep. He didn't want him to beg him not to leave, to ask what was wrong. He didn't want to lie anymore. But he had to. He simply had to.

He took a paper and grabbed a pen. In his curly handwriting he wrote down that he'd go to Kyouya before school and he could leave already. They would meet up there.

He sighed and walked back to the bed where Hikaru was still sleeping. He laid the note next to him, where he was supposed to be sleeping. He leaned forward and softly pressed a kiss on his twin's cheek.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, knowing he wouldn't hear.

With those words he turned around. Opening the door made no sound and he slipped away just as soundless. He slowly closed the door behind him and made his way to the door outside.

"Leaving already?"

He froze. He almost yelped and jumped back, but instead he just turned around and smiled to his mom, who was looking at him with a certain kind of concern.

"Ah, yes. There was still something I had to do for school, so I'm going already to finish it. Group work, you see," he smiled like there was nothing wrong.

He got used to lying everyday to everyone very quickly. Even though his mom knew that he wasn't human any longer, he didn't want her to know how much it hurt. He didn't want to concern her about things that couldn't be changed anyway. He didn't even feel disgust anymore about how quickly his mother agreed to let her son turn into a weapon.

She smiled and nodded: "okay, I'll tell Hikaru when he wakes up."

He didn't ask why she was still up, or up again, he just nodded and walked outside. The night was cold, he didn't feel it, but he could see it. He could see a lot. He could see through the dark. He could still hear his twin breathing. Something changed. He stopped dead in his tracks.

He was crying. Hikaru was crying. He could hear Hikaru's gasps, as if he was standing next to him. He could hear how he tried to stop the tears from falling. He could almost see his tears fall on the ground.

He slowly turned around, staring at the huge mansion that was theirs. He wanted to run back, to rush up the stairs, smash the door open and beg Hikaru to stop crying. But he couldn't. He couldn't just go back. He bit his lip and walked away. He needed to get away. He trembled and dry tears were taking control.

But he couldn't cry, because humans do… and who ever saw a weapon cry? There is no such thing as a weapon that feels. There is no such thing as a weapon with a heart.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Hikaru wasn't even surprised when he woke up and his twin wasn't there anymore. He wasn't even surprised when all he found when he rolled over was a note, with his pretty, curly handwriting.

_I'm going to Kyouya before school starts. Don't worry; I'll be there on time. Sorry that I messed up your date with Haruhi. And you fell asleep again, before the movie ended. I'll see you at school. I'm really sorry, Hikaru. Hope I didn't wake you!_

_Love you! Your awesome twin, Kaoru!_

His eyes lingered at the last sentence. Love you… It was then that the tears started to fall. It was then that he felt so lonely and backstabbed that he couldn't help but helplessly cry. He didn't like it. No, he hated it.

He hated that his own twin backstabbed him. Nothing, just nothing in the world could be cruel enough to make Kaoru not trust him. He was scared and for the first time in his life Kaoru wasn't there to make it alright. No, even worse. It was him that he was scared of, that was scaring him.

Kaoru thought Hikaru didn't knew, but Hikaru saw every slight change. He heard the door close every single time. He felt the soft kisses he pressed on his cheek every time. He was always there; he was just pretending to be not. And he hated it; he hated how Kaoru tried to conceal it. He hated the way he always said everything was fine, when things were so clearly not. He hated the way he had to worry about him all the time.

Silent gasps filled the air. His hand was on his mouth, but he couldn't stop himself from crying. He had to know. He'd die if he didn't know.

His brother wasn't angry on him because he dated Haruhi right? No. That couldn't be it. This had been going on before that. And besides, his twin wasn't that childish. And it wasn't like he dumped his twin or something. He rather seemed happy that he finally admitted liking her.

Then what? What could it be? He stood up, knowing that he couldn't sleep anymore, anyway. He stepped to the window, watching the silent cold night. He wanted his twin to be there, to stay at his side.

Did he forget? Did Kaoru forget about how inseparable they were? Did he forget that he was Hikaru's life and that nothing could ever change his love for him? Did he forget that no matter what, Hikaru would protect him?

He gritted his teeth.

Did his twin forget about him? His other half? His mirror image? The very own extension of his soul?

His hands clenched into fists.

Why did he have to make everything so difficult? No matter what Kaoru would say, no matter what he'd do… He would never ever hate him. He just couldn't. He would always love him. Forever and ever.

He turned around. He'd find out soon enough. He was sick and tired of waiting. Faster than ever before, he got in his clothes. He rushed from the stairs, jumping off the last ones.

"You're awake, too?" his mother's voice didn't sound in the least surprised.

He didn't even answer. Yes he was awake, that was obvious right? Instead of wasting his time with saying stupid, obvious things, he raced toward the door.

"I love you, too!" he heard his mom calling after him, sarcastically.

In response he smashed the door shut. The night was cold and he shivered. But he didn't have time to waste and go back. He just ran to the place his bike was and jumped on. He raced through the streets, not minding any traffic that might've been there, even on this early hour. His lungs were sore and he breathed heavily, but he kept on racing through the nearly empty streets.

He had to find his brother. He had to make him tell him what was wrong. Kaoru was killing himself, Hikaru knew. Slowly and more painful than any death, Kaoru was killing himself by killing their bond. It was based on trust, a trust no one could imagine.

Their nanny once told them to only trust themselves. Well, they did. Because Hikaru equaled Kaoru and Kaoru equaled Hikaru. Yes, they were different and there were differences, but they were one. Not trusting him was not trusting himself.

He always flew over his bike as he put a stop to his ride to let a car pass. Staring into the dark night, his anger slowly passed away and was replaced by sadness. He remembered all the times he asked and Kaoru just started crying, just started freaking out. He even smashed a vase once, not aimed at him though. And Hikaru felt how he got sick again as he remembered being **scared **of his twin.

He gasped for air, gave his sore legs some time to recover.

He remembered how after a few times he got so scared of hurting Kaoru that he didn't ask anymore. It was back then that the lying started. The pretending, the dishonesty. It all started after that moment that Kaoru screamed and smashed that vase, when he ran away to the balcony. He stopped back then and his anger was gone.

Tear's welled up again as he thought of that day.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

_Kaoru didn't scream anymore. Kaoru didn't yell anymore. He didn't even tremble. He just stared down, stared and stared. _

"_Hey, Hikaru… you have to promise me something…" he finally said._

_Hikaru stood there in the doorway, watching his brothers back. He still trembled and he was scared. It was scary to watch how his usually calmer twin lost it like that. He didn't want to admit it, but he was really scared. He was scared because he didn't understand his own twin._

"_What is it, Kaoru?" he brought himself to speak after a while._

"_If I become a murderer… you have to kill me."_

_Hikaru's eyes widened and he was next to his twin in an instant. He grabbed his wrist, pulling him close. His body was shaking and he could barely see through the tears falling from his eyes. He wanted to scream, to hit his brother just to make him stop talking. Just stop talking._

_Something like that would never happen! His twin wouldn't… he wouldn't…. Every breath he took hurt and his fear grew every second. _

"_What are you talking about?" his voice was surprisingly calm._

_Kaoru didn't even wince. He just stared back. He didn't cry and didn't tremble. He was so calm it only made Hikaru more afraid. He felt cold, so cold. Hikaru's warm fingers were just as cold now, just from holding his wrist in his hand. _

"_If I become a monster, you have to stop me, okay? You have to kill me if I ever become a… weapon…" Kaoru looked away, "If I ever become someone who only brings death, you have to save everyone and you have to kill me. You have to, Hikaru!"_

_He released himself from Hikaru's grip and staggered a few steps backward, until his back was facing a wall. _

"_You have to kill me then! Because, because you have to save everyone then!" his eyes were filled with an emotion Hikaru just couldn't express._

_It only scared him. It only made him so afraid he thought he'd die any moment now. He shook his head and clenched his fists._

"_I'll __**never **__kill you." he said firmly. "And I want you to __**never **__ever talk about that again."_

"_But…"_

_He looked up._

"_JUST SHUT UP!"_

"_Promise me…" _

"_No! No!"_

"_If you love me, you'll promise me. If you care about me, then, then… you'd say yes…"_

_And then there was silence. Completely silence. Hikaru grabbed his twin's arm and pulled him close. How could he choose between such things? He shivered and embraced his still calm twin._

"_Okay… If it ever comes to that… I'll…I'll save you."_

_But he never thought such a day would come. From that day on, he swore to protect his twin from all the pain in the world. And mostly from himself._

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Hikaru just never thought there would be a day where he felt that that one moment was so important. Everything seemed to freeze. Everything seemed to die. He was going insane. He started racing through the streets. He needed to make Kaoru tell him. He needed to know or he'd do something… something… he didn't know what, but it wouldn't be good.

He smashed his bike on the ground when he reached the large mansion that was Kyouya's. He looked around and then suddenly felt like the biggest idiot in the world. There was no way he would sneak in.

Then the direct way.

He walked straight to the door and knocked. There was no answer and he froze. Suddenly, this whole idea seemed so stupid, so worthless. He could ask him this evening too. He could wait. He could watch a little longer. He wanted to turn around and leave, but he heard the door open. He stared into the blue eyes of a maid as she politely asked: "Can I help you?"

"Yeah… Uh… I…" he took a deep breath. "Can I come in? I'm a friend of Kyouya."

"But of course! Please come in," she opened the door and Hikaru walked inside.

He quickly looked around.

"Uhm… Could I talk to Kyouya for a moment?" he asked the maid.

She nodded and Hikaru decided to follow her. She knocked on a door.

"Hm?" Kyouya's voice sounded. "What is it?"

"There's someone for you…" she looked at him.

"Hikaru Hitachiin," he smiled back.

"Hikaru Hitachiin would like to talk to you for a second."

And then there was that yelp - that **scream** in pure and simple horror. Hikaru froze again and felt tears flash in his eyes. He clenched his fists. That was his twin. Without doubt, that was Kaoru's voice. Hikaru just stared at the door, not even able to shout something back. It hurt; it hurt how scared his twin had sounded.

The maid was taken aback as well, staring at the wooden door.

"Oh… Okay…" that was Kyouya's voice again.

A moment later he opened the door and smiled to Hikaru.

"Come in." he said and Hikaru did.

Kaoru sat on the bed, his eyes staring down at the ground. He hugged a blue pillow, holding on like it was the only thing connecting him to this planet. He didn't even look at Hikaru when he came inside and closed the door behind him. He didn't even try to apologize for his scream. Hikaru felt like his twin wanted him gone, and preferably fast. He swallowed, not able to pierce through the wall his twin built up. He couldn't even say something like 'hi'. He never encountered such a wall, such a silent plea to just turn around and be gone.

Sometimes it was better to not understand people. Sometimes it was better that you didn't get what they meant without a single word. It would've saved Hikaru from a lot of pain now.

"So, why are you here?" Kyouya finally asked, trying to break the tension between the twins.

"I…" Hikaru swallowed. "I wanna know what's wrong with Kaoru."

There, he said it. He couldn't care less that Kyouya just gave him a weird look and Kaoru's grip on the pillow even tightened.

"There is nothing wrong with Kaoru," Kyouya just answered.

"Hikaru… _Please_…" Kaoru begged and his nails sunk into the pillow. "Please…"

Please what? Please go away? Please just leave me alone? Please just mind your own business? Please leave your own twin to drawn in his misery? 'Please' wasn't heard.

"No! Don't 'please' me! God, don't I have the right to know?!" Hikaru screamed.

"Hikaru, please lower your voice a little, okay?" Kyouya said as he watched how Kaoru tried to hide himself completely in the pillow, his slender shoulders shaking.

"… What do you have to do with this? What did you do to my twin?" his voiced sounded more insulting that he though it would.

They both froze, Kaoru a lot more noticeable then Kyouya, but the room fell into a complete silence. Hikaru looked from Kaoru to Kyouya, not knowing what he said wrong.

"We should go to school!" Kaoru suddenly said as he jumped up.

Hikaru wanted to protest but as he saw his twin's state, even when he tried to hide it so badly, he just nodded. He didn't want to hurt Kaoru ever more then he already was. He didn't know when it happened and he didn't know why he wasn't there to stop it, but one day he just saw a broken boy standing in his room. And he couldn't fix him anymore. He was pushing him away, almost kicking him out. So all he could do was stand there, watching outside, desperately waiting until his twin let him back in.

Kaoru smiled and he forced his happiness so much that even Kyouya noticed. He nodded.

"Let's go then," Kaoru said, grabbing Hikaru's hand and pushing Kyouya out the door.

Kyouya just smiled lightly and walked outside, hearing how Kaoru shut the door behind him. He could feel how frustrated Hikaru was and how he faked the way he seemed to forget. But he couldn't know. He wouldn't be happier if he did, anyway. It would only make it worse.

Kaoru knew that too. Kaoru knew that having a bad, selfish twin who kicked you away and spent too much time with someone else was better then not having a twin at all. They couldn't change the fact that they were twins, but Kaoru could try to get faced with that as less as possible.

He could try to protect his twin, even if he'd never succeed. He could try to keep this war hidden as far as possible. He could try to act like nothing changed, even when things obviously did.

Kaoru pushed his brother in the car, talking to Kyouya, but Hikaru wasn't listening. He just stared outside the window, ignoring every living being on the little planet. He hated the way he couldn't say a word anymore when he watched Kaoru's eyes full of tears. He hated that he **still **didn't know.

And even more he hated the way Kyouya did.

Why him? Why? He had **nothing **to do with them. Nothing at all. He didn't even know them. He didn't even know Kaoru. He couldn't even tell them apart. He was just selfish and scary and irritating and… Hikaru sighed as he heard his twin's happy voice telling a random story that once happened. Kyouya probably didn't even care. But Hikaru did. And still the story was told to Kyouya and not to him.

The world was a cruel place. Cruel for pushing him away and replacing him with someone like that. He was sure he wouldn't have mind as much as he did now if it was someone like tono, or even Honey or Mori… but Kyouya? Kaoru didn't even like him, he always said. He didn't like the way he only thought about himself and he was always looking for a way to make his position better. He didn't like him at all.

So why, why was he the one Kaoru shared his secret with? Why? Why did he have to do this? Why did things have to go this way?

He never did something so wrong that he deserved that. Because, really, no matter what secret his twin was hiding, if it was okay that Kyouya knew… then… he could know as well, right?

Right. Certainly right.

"Hi-ka-ru!" Kaoru flung his arms around his twin's shoulders. "We're here!"

He leaned over to push open the door and pushed Hikaru out. Hikaru faked a laugh and got out, pulling Kaoru with his. Kyouya just got out, just normal. Kaoru let go of Hikaru and jumped back to Kyouya.

"Thank you for helping me with school," he said.

Kyouya just nodded and gave him a polite smile, while Hikaru just felt disgust. Kaoru didn't need to keep the lie up. He knew, of course Hikaru knew. He wasn't there for school at all. Kaoru laughed, walking next to Kyouya and again he was telling something that Hikaru never really listened to. It wasn't really told to him anyway. Hikaru just searched for Haruhi, actually hoping he could go talk to her so he didn't have to watch his twin getting all friendly with that hypocrite of a Kyouya.

Kaoru's arm brushed against Kyouya's and Hikaru had to keep himself from forcefully jumping between. He looked down and suddenly noticed how Kyouya discreetly took something out of his pocket and slid it between Kaoru's fingers. He hid it in his pocket almost as his soon as he got it and Hikaru had only one second that he could catch a glimpse of white pills in the bottle.

Hikaru abruptly stood still. Pills? Was Kaoru sick? Was that what he was hiding all this time? Maybe he couldn't be cured anymore… maybe… It would make sense. That was why Kyouya knew and he didn't. He felt iron claws of fear clench around his chest, cutting of his breath, stopping his movements.

Was Kaoru going to die?

Only the thought of that happening made him want to scream and run away. No, no! That couldn't possibly happen. There was no world without Kaoru. No place on earth would be the same, nothing would ever be the same without him. He couldn't even imagine what the world would be like… without Kaoru… No… No!

It couldn't be. It was just impossible. Kaoru was untouchable. Kaoru was some kind of immortal being. He couldn't die. He just couldn't. It was impossible. Kaoru was his life, everything… and that just couldn't die.

"Hikaru?"

He snapped back to reality.

"Ah, finally!" he said when he saw Haruhi standing next to him, trying to sound as normal as he could.

He looked up to find Kaoru, but he was nowhere to be seen. The thought of him dying shot through him again and he shivered. He didn't want to think about it ever again. There was no way he could loose his twin. But he was afraid, now he thought of it, now even the slightest possibility of that happening slid in their lives. He was so afraid he thought he'd just fade, just die where he stood, but surprisingly he could still talk, still give her a smile.

"Where's Kaoru?" He asked, not really expecting her to know.

"He just walked away with Kyouya-senpai. He told you," she laughed, but to her it didn't sound as honest as it did before.

"He did?" Hikaru gave her an uneasy laugh, "must've missed that…"

She was silent for a while. Unwillingly she thought back to yesterday and she could hear Kaoru's words again. She could feel the fear again, that fear that wasn't supposed to be there. Hikaru must've felt it too and he was probably suffering a thousand times more under it than she did. If she was already so scared… then what was he supposed to be?

Why couldn't Kaoru just tell them? Everything would be so much easier if he just told them.

"Are you okay?" she asked finally.

Hikaru looked at her and gave her a fake smile. No, things weren't okay. He wasn't okay. He **couldn't **be okay when his twin was like this.

"Hey, Haruhi… If… If Kaoru was ill, he would tell me right? Even if… even if he couldn't be cured anymore, right?" Hikaru looked away and he started walking to class, just to do something.

"Hm? Is he ill?" she asked as she followed.

"I don't know… but…" he sighed, "but that's the only thing I can imagine worse enough to hide it from me. I mean… he's really kind you know… and he probably thinks this is better then telling me he'll…" he just couldn't say it, didn't want to think about it.

"Let's not think the worst, right?" Haruhi said as she thought back of his words.

She wished Hikaru didn't say that, because she started to believe it now. It would explain his words, his sudden sadness. It would explain why he hang around with Kyouya so much too.

Hikaru entered class and found Kaoru staring out of the window. A girl was standing near him and he thought she tried to talk to him, but it didn't seem to work. He just stared absently out of the window, just stared. Hikaru suppressed a shiver as he saw how sad his twin looked. Sad, frightened… like he could break any moment.

How did he ever let things come this far? If Kaoru would only tell…

The girl spotted him and immediately he recognized her as Satsuki. She walked up to him, a concerned look in her eyes.

"Hm… Hikaru?" she guessed.

"Uhu?" he answered.

"Kaoru has been…" she looked away. "…Acting weird."

"What do you mean?" Hikaru looked at his twin, still staring into the sky.

"He's… talking in himself… for a long time now" she said uneasy and whispered, "could you talk to him? I'm… really worried."

Hikaru gave her a weird look and without a further word he stepped to his twin. Kaoru's back faced the class and he sat there, his eyes hidden under his hair. His chin leaned on one palm and his other hand was restlessly ticking on the desk. With ever inch Hikaru came closer, he could feel that wall again, that barrier that Kaoru built one day. It happened so sudden Hikaru couldn't keep it from happening. One day his twin just didn't let him in on his thoughts anymore. Just like that.

"Kaoru?" he started carefully, sitting half on his desk.

_- Scouting Area for Target-_

"What did you say?" Hikaru shivered.

Kaoru's lips moved in a fluent movement, but it wasn't his voice rolling from those red lips. Hikaru suppressed the panic that made his way to take over his mind as he saw how lifeless his twin's eyes were as he stroke his hair away.

"Kaoru? Kaoru?"

_- Code 0-4-8. Scouting Area for Target. Battle Mode on Stand-By-_

"Stop that!" Hikaru almost screamed and he could feel everyone turning to look at them. "Kaoru!"

His twin didn't even react. He just stared and stared outside. Even when Hikaru grabbed his shoulder, he didn't even wince. He seemed like he wasn't there anymore, like he was gone, just gone. Like Kaoru died and someone else had taken his place.

The teacher must've walked in earlier, because Hikaru could feel a hand on his shoulder.

"Everything alright, here?" he asked.

"Ah, Y-Yeah... sure..." Hikaru lied.

What could he say? That his brother was acting weird that he had no idea what was wrong? What could he possibly say? There weren't any words that could voice his fear. So he just faked another smile and sat down next to his twin. The whole lesson his eyes were only focused on his mirror image, who didn't move an inch. Not a single inch. He just stared and stared and when the teacher asked something he answered in that voice that wasn't his.

And there was nothing Hikaru could do to stop it. Nothing. He could only watch and he felt so disgust by that, that his attention for the lesson was gone as well.

"… Really good, Satsuki. You read very well. Who wants to read ne-"

Kaoru stood up in such a quick movement his chair fell. Hikaru looked up and saw the bewildered look in his twin's eyes. For a second he was Kaoru again, Hikaru swore, and then it changed back.

"Ah, is there something wrong…?" The teacher asked confused.

_-Target Detected. Must Inform Kyouya Ootori-_

His eyes flew over the classroom.

_-Everyone Please Evacuate Immediately-_

Without a further word he turned on his heels and rushed out of the classroom. Everyone was silent. No one said a word. No one laughed, because no one saw anything funny about the situation.

"What does he… mean?" someone asked.

Hikaru didn't answer. He just shot up from his place.

"Kaoru! Kaoru!" he shouted and ran after his twin.

What happened? What part did he miss? Where did he go wrong? He didn't get anything of what just happened. He only got that somehow his twin started running and he was running after him.

Why couldn't he just tell him? He stood still and looked around.

Kaoru was nowhere to be seen. The only thing Hikaru saw was how a blonde boy stood in the hall and lifted his hand, smashing the glass of the fire alarm. Immediately the sound filled the whole school. But the smoke was nowhere.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

The door of Class 2-A smashed open. Tamaki and Kyouya looked up, neither of them surprised when they saw Kaoru standing in the doorway.

"They're here" was all he needed to say.

Tamaki nodded and stood up, announcing that everyone had to evacuate as soon as possible. Kyouya already stood up, grabbing Kaoru's wrists and running as fast as possible out of the hall.

"I didn't expect them to be here so soon…" he said, running over the grass, until they were on a safe distance from the school.

"I hoped they wouldn't…" Kaoru smiled, but shrugged. "I don't want this world to fight anymore…"

Kyouya didn't know a good answer to that.

"You have permission to launch" he said.

_-Identified Kyouya Ootori. Switching Battle Mode On. Launch At 10 Seconds And Counting-_

Kaoru smiled to him.

_- Ten-_

Kyouya took a few quick steps backward.

_-Nine-_

A smile.

_-Eight-_

The wings spread to their full glory and Kyouya took another step backward.

_-Seven-_

Still a smile.

_-Six-_

The grass under his feet shook.

_-Five-_

The smile didn't leave.

_-Four-_

"Kaoru! Kaoru, where are you!" the voice was still far, too far to be there within the next three second. But still Kaoru's eyes widened.

_-Three-_

"Kaoru!"

_-Two-_

"Kaoru!" footsteps raced towards him.

_-One-_

The smile left his face, to be replaced by a sorrowful look.

_-Ready for Launch-_

And with that the boy's feet came loose from the earth, black wings flapped and he rose into the sky. Kyouya braced himself, trying not to fall from the sudden shock and power. His eyes followed the boy, until he was too far out of sight to be seen.

He hoped that Kaoru would save them, before this world had reached a point beyond saving. He hoped that the sacrifice Kaoru made wasn't for nothing. He hoped that he could save not only Japan but simply everyone.

"Where is he!" someone grabbed his arm and pulled him a half turn back.

Before even looking into those eyes, he already knew who it was. The one that was so identical to the one who sacrificed everything. So identical and still so very easily told apart. Because Hikaru was still human, which couldn't be said about his younger twin. Hikaru still had some warmth and a life… which couldn't be said about his younger twin.

"How should I know?" he answered uninterested.

"Stop that! I know you know where he is! I know and it makes me sick! So just tell me already!" Hikaru's eyes were full of anger.

"You won't believe me, even if I'd say, so you're better of not knowing at all," Kyouya simply stated.

Hikaru pushed him away, throwing him on the ground.

"Then I'll find him myself! I know there is no fire! I know this is all just so Kaoru could leave! I'm…" he clenched his fists. "I'm not stupid."

Kyouya got up again, and looked at the grass. Sometimes he didn't get why he was able to confuse Kaoru and Hikaru with each other all the time. They weren't like each other at all.

"You are…" he whispered.

But Hikaru already turned around and ran away from the school, screaming his brother's name.

He surely was stupid to not notice that he was only making things worse. No one could save Kaoru anymore. No one could love Kaoru anymore. There was no such thing as a weapon that loves or that was loved. Love only made things worse. For everyone.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Kaoru flew through the air, his eyes searching the ground for the target. Finally they came here too. The soldiers came here to disturb the piece here, too. And soon, so soon Hikaru would know about war and he'd watch his friends die and his hands would be stained in blood. Kaoru couldn't save him. He couldn't save anyone. Boy after boy after boy died, even when he was supposed to save them all. He watched how their guts were blown away, how they crawled over the bloodstained ground. He watched them die. And after that he lost control and killed everyone in the city. On his side or not, where he went, everyone who saw him would die.

No one who saw him could live, that's why his twin couldn't see him. That's why he couldn't know. Because then he'd be caught in this fate as well and Kaoru would take him down with him. They were connected, more then he wanted right now and he had to break down that connection as fast as possible.

When Hikaru started dating Haruhi he thought he succeeded. He thought that the connection, that bond, that closeness, he thought it would fade. Slowly fade and go away. And then, even if his twin found out, he would just hate him and turn to Haruhi. Then he didn't need to get hurt because of him anymore.

It was okay if Hikaru hated him, detested him. It was okay if Hikaru was disgust of him, wanted him to drop dead. It was okay if he forgot him, if he didn't want to think about him anymore. That all was okay if it could save him. If hating him could save Hikaru, then without doubt, he'd beg to be hated.

He was made to kill. Only to kill and to destroy. He wasn't meant to save. He was the ultimate weapon. Weapons are made to take people's life. And no matter how many times Kyouya'd repeat that he was doing the right thing, he never did. He was wrong and disgusting. And he didn't want his brother to know.

He was ashamed and disgust with himself. He wanted to die, wanted to be killed and shot down, but he knew he never could. Because he was the ultimate weapon and he couldn't be taken down by anyone or anything.

_-Targets Detected. Preparing For Attack-_

With an elegant turn he flew down, the earth shivering, waiting until he hit the ground. He could hear the screams, the heartbeats racing in a fast rhythm. He could smell the fear, could look in their scared eyes. But it didn't matter. A weapon is made to kill. And so it would. Kaoru could only kill. Only kill, even when he didn't want to.

His feet touched the ground.

_Stop me… Please stop me…_

Bullets were flying around him and he could feel the panic welling up again. He didn't want this. He didn't want to fight anymore. But he had to, he simply had to.

_Stop me… Stop me…_

He lifted up his hand, building a simple magnetic field around him. The bullets were useless. Nothing could hurt him. Nothing could.

And that fact alone was enough to make him die inside.

He probably already did. A weapon doesn't live. A weapon is just dead, cold metal. He didn't even have a heart anymore. He only had a song. A song that reminded him of how it used to be. A song that reminded him of love. A song was the only thing left that made him human. It was the only string that still connected him and his brother.

Even when his twin was human and he wasn't, even when his twin was wonderful and he wasn't, even when his twin could save people and he couldn't… they still liked the same songs. Somehow, that was more then Kaoru thought he deserved.

But still he was thankful that his twin didn't think about him that way.

_Hikaru… Please stop me someday… You have to…_

People died. Blood spilled. The city was filled with smoke. People screamed and tried to get away. Useless. They died anyway. Everyone died. No one was kept alive.

He flew into the air, his wings stained with blood. There were planes, and he needed to get rid of them too. Not so long after the air was filled with explosions. Kaoru screamed as he got hit in his side. He wasn't supposed to feel pain, but when he looked down and he saw half his stomach blown away, he still screamed. Just because he was scared. There wasn't any blood; there were only the little electric sparks the cables and chips inside gave. And then there was another explosion and yet again people died.

It was amazing how many people they were in the world. Even though their world always existed of 'us' and 'them', he never expected 'them' to be with so much. This world was too big and yet too small. People kept coming, falling down. People kept dying. Everyone died.

And Kaoru was alone and he killed.

Why couldn't he be saved? Why couldn't he stop this? Why couldn't he bring peace?

He stopped his song, and his desperate scream resounded over the broken city.

_Please stop me!_

But there was no one left to stop him. There was no one left to listen. There was no one, no one left at all. Kaoru stand back on the ground. Tears streamed over his face and he was surprised he could still cry. It wasn't likely that a weapon could cry. But still he did. He didn't want this. He never knew that taking people's lives would hurt this much. He never knew that the feeling never ended. He never knew that the pain always stayed, kept coming back. He never knew that watching the world die would be so slowly.

He knew his tears weren't going to save him. He knew his tears couldn't change faith. He knew that next time he'd just kill again. He knew, but he couldn't care. He just cried, just screamed, hoping that there was anyone left. He wished he never agreed. Not even for his twin. Because he only knew now that he only hurt Hikaru more. If Hikaru found, he'd simply die…

If Hikaru knew… If Hikaru knew… Kaoru didn't want to think about it, didn't want to think of how his own little world would crash down and crumble. Even when he was a weapon and he was killing, his own world was still left untouched. His own world was still intact. He didn't mess that up yet. He didn't destroy that yet.

He stared over the city, searching for someone to kill, for someone to just vent it off. One more human life wouldn't matter. One more human life wouldn't make any difference. No one could make a difference. No one could save. There was no such as a hero, no such thing as a happy ending. There were only lies. There was only dead waiting ahead of humans.

He slowly got up. The earth didn't make a sound. He didn't make a sound either. There was no such thing as hope, no such thing as love… Love only made it worse.

He never wanted to hurt Hikaru… he only wanted him to be safe, but every time he killed, he could just **hear **his twin in the back of his head, shouting at him because he was stupid. Because he needed to do what he wanted, not what other people told him to do. He could hear how he told him to stop this, to not kill those innocent people along with the 'bad guys'. And there was yet another problem.

Everyone was fighting to protect. Everyone was fighting for what they thought was right. What kind of judge was he to decide what was wrong and what not?

Who was he to take humans lives and crash them so easily?

He hadn't the right. He hadn't the right to do this. But he couldn't stop.

_-Kaoru Hitachiin Is Returning To Base. I Repeat: …-_

He stopped when he heard a heartbeat racing. Was someone still alive?

And then it hit him.

He knew that heartbeat. He knew that sound. He knew it… because it sounded so much like his own. He slowly turned around.

_I'm so sorry, Hikaru… I'm just not strong enough to stop this… I'm not… strong enough alone…_

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Hikaru turned around and didn't even hear what Kyouya said after him. It didn't even matter. His eye fell on a bike, standing loose, and yes, stealing was wrong, but he couldn't run the whole way, right? Right. Finding his twin was so needed that stealing wasn't wrong. And he'd give it back, once he found his twin. He grabbed the bike and raced off. Screaming his twin name over and over again, leaving the panicking school behind him, he raced through busy streets.

The earth shivered. The earth shuddered. The earth cried in pain.

The explosion reached his ears. Fear froze him for a moment and he turned around and saw, saw in the distance, how a red cloud, framed by a grey wall of smoke. He must've gone insane from fear about his twin, because he could swear, simply put his life on, that he saw wings, black wings through that red blur. People screamed and ran away in fear and he just stood there, the only person that was frozen by the fear, staring at the black wings in the explosion.

Something told him he was there. He and his twin were connected. Somehow, they always, always knew where the other was. Hikaru's eyes widened. He never hoped he was wrong this badly before. The wings disappeared and almost like that was a sign, Hikaru snapped back to reality.

What was going on? What was happening to this earth?

Everyone screamed. Everyone ran. And Hikaru went just in the opposite direction. He must be stupid, must he be wrong, but instead of running he was seeking the disaster. Like he was hypnotized by the red blurs in the sky, the way the earth warned everyone not to come any closer, he came closer and closer to the place where Japan ended and the world died. He couldn't breathe anymore, couldn't think. His legs were moving on his own. People still screamed. The world was ending, dying. He could smell the panic, hear the children cry.

War. This must be what people call war. Was that what they were talking about on the news? Hikaru couldn't comprehend it. Couldn't fully understand.

Kaoru hated war. He could understand that. What he couldn't understand was how Kaoru knew what it was, when he didn't. Kaoru flinched and smashed things at the TV when they talked about war. Hikaru just laughed, because Kaoru could always make it so that he wasn't scared. When Kaoru was there, Hikaru could take on this world.

But now he was alone. And he was approaching disaster. He was making his way to a dead city. His eyes widened as he faced the buildings, broken down, killed. He dropped his bike. There weren't any screams. Not even the muffled ones, the scared ones he saw on TV. There were no people running for their lives. There were only the dead bodies, ripped apart, heads severed. And the smell.

Hikaru never smelled something as awful before. His stomach turned. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. And there was no way his brother would be here. This wasn't a place where Kaoru belonged. No, his innocent, lovely twin could never be here. He would make sure he'd never saw this, or smelled this. His stomach turned even more, tumbled upside down, when he saw the maimed bodies. He couldn't take this. This was so very different from the movies.

He turned around and threw up, his hand finding support on a broken wall. The smell only made it worse. How could something like ever happen? He couldn't really believe it. He stood back up, drained and shaking. He saw a burned doll and shivered. Why was this happening?

The thought rising in his mind, the thought that maybe he could still save someone, made him feel some kind of weird hope. He had to stop this somehow. The city was so quiet, the earth didn't even cry anymore.

But there was a voice, one voice, softly singing.

_- "Closer to your skin, you gotta keep me deep within  
'Cause where I am right now I couldn't be tomorrow  
Close enough to see, Close enough to hear you breathe  
Close enough to feel the warmth of you, 'cause I am so cold, yeah" -_

Hikaru slowly turned around. He wasn't sure he wanted to confirm what his head was so coldly telling him. He didn't want to recognize that voice, didn't want to recognize that person. His heart raced, so fast that he wished it stopped beating. He never felt so alone and so scared. So absolutely, deathly afraid.

The world was cruel. Reality was always waiting for an opportunity to break someone. The world was just waiting to crash down. Happiness was such a fragile thing, not made to last for ever. Nothing last forever.

There were no screams. There were no tears, expect for the ones that were already on **his **cheeks. Hikaru just died. Just died where he stood. He just went completely numb as he stared, just stared at his twin.

And Kaoru just stared back, half his side gone.

There was no blood, not of him anyway. Hikaru knew. Hikaru knew and it was disgusting. Kaoru's clothes were ripped, and there was a huge hole in his side. Hikaru's legs failed him and he collapsed on the ground, as he watched the **cables **and **chips** that are there. He was supposed to see blood, intestines, something but not… not… that mechanic stuff.

He wanted to say something. Something to break this silence. Something to stop this. Something, somehow, something. But the words didn't come. The tears didn't come. There was nothing he could say. He couldn't even understand.

This was the secret his twin had been hiding. This was the cruel truth he never told him of. This was what Hikaru so desperately wanted to know, but now he did it certainly didn't make him feel any better. Maybe Kaoru was right about not telling him. Maybe Kaoru was indeed saving him from a lot of pain by trying to not let him know. Maybe there was no need for him to know. Maybe, just maybe… But it couldn't be helped anymore. He saw.

He just stared and continued staring, but he refused to see.

He refused to see the black wings, sprouting out of his twin's back. He refused to see the cables and blood. He refused to see his twin in such a state. He refused to see his tears.

When did it come to this? When did he allow his twin to cry without being able to stop him? Why did this happen? Why couldn't he turn back time? Why couldn't he make this alright again? Why couldn't he even talk, say something, something at all?

He opened his mouth, but only a soft cry was the sound that left. Those who died, don't speak. Those, whose hearts froze, can't talk anymore. So Hikaru just sat there, staring at his twin, trying to do something, trying so hard to live on. It was Kaoru who finally, finally broke the silence.

"You can go home without me. I'll be going to Kyouya first," was all he said.

No sorry, no hurt voice, no, nothing. There was no dramatic goodbye, because Hikaru couldn't even react. Just those words he said so many times before. Just those words that killed Hikaru even more. No desperate screams pierced through the air. No cries, no sobs.

Just silence as he watched him leave. His twin's feet get loose from the ground and he flew away.

He flew away and left Hikaru behind. And he had no idea how to breathe, how to live, how to move on without his twin. Smoke filled his lungs and he felt nauseous. He tried to get up, his body trembling uncontrollably. He wanted his twin to support him, to lean on those familiar shoulders, while walking home. But he wasn't there, just like he never was there for him.

He left him alone. More then anything, Hikaru felt terrible for letting this happen to his twin. He didn't save him. He didn't save him from any pain. He staggered, dragging his numb body further and further. He just let his twin become this… thing… He couldn't even name it. He couldn't even understand, let alone fully realize. He just dragged himself through empty streets, without seeing where he went, just seeing the image of his twin, so different, different from before.

Why hadn't he seen this coming? Why was he so completely dumbfounded and hurt? Why hadn't he been able to do something, to prevent this from happening? Kaoru must be dying, must be so lonely… And he never was there. He didn't even understand what happened to him, couldn't even come close to understand his pain… but even so, there must've been something he could've done. There must've been a way to save his twin.

Why was the world so cruel? Why was he so far away from his twin? He didn't want to be different, didn't want to be… Separated. Different. Apart.

And then, finally, the tears came and he collapsed again. Kaoru couldn't see how hurt it was so for once… for once it was okay to be weak… For once he didn't have to be strong, because Kaoru wasn't there. They never cried because Hikaru always tried to be strong for Kaoru and Kaoru never wanted Hikaru to see how hurt he was. They never were hurt, because there was always that one person that made everything alright. It was their magic, their own indestructible shield against all pain. But it came crashing down, shattered. Their foundation cracked, wasn't strong enough to carry the weight of their world.

Kaoru wasn't there anymore. He was gone. Gone with the wind. He flew away.

Leaving Hikaru all alone.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Kyouya stood in the freezing air, waiting for the boy to return. Even though he was slightly worried when the communication line broke so abrupt, he never showed any sign of that emotion. He just stood there and waited. He shivered through the cold, but his eyes kept on staring into the empty sky.

So they finally reached his town. He thought about how he was going to keep the promise he made with Kaoru.

'_Whatever happens, keep Hikaru safe. I will do this if you promise me that Hikaru will never get hurt. If you promise me to keep him safe, I'll agree.'_

Kaoru was quite a hypocrite, he thought back then. He knew those devilish twins for some time back then, enough to know that if something like this would happen to Kaoru, Hikaru would be hurt. Just because he and his twin were different. It wasn't hard to figure something as that out, but since Kaoru seemed to believe that somehow things would be okay and Kyouya got what he wanted, he didn't think about it further. It was enough if his orders were followed, right?

He sighed. When he saw a dark silhouette, he knew Kaoru was coming back. Even from the distance, he could see something was wrong. He had to come to know Kaoru pretty good as well, even when he'd never reach that part where words weren't needed anymore. Kaoru landed, soon his clothes dripping from the water. Kyouya walked up to him, wanting to say what he always said, but even before he opened his mouth, he felt a wet body pressing against his, cold arms wrapping around his shoulders.

"He saw me! Hikaru saw me!" the boy cried helplessly.

Kyouya didn't react at all. He needed to say something, needed to do something. Kaoru couldn't loose control like this. He wasn't allowed to do that. Because he was their only hope, and if he was this helpless, who were those soldiers supposed to believe in. He grabbed his shoulders, pulling him away, whispering: "get a grip of yourself. Switch it off."

_-Identified Kyouya Ootori. Switching Battle Mode Off-_

Kaoru just looked up, tears streaming down, looking at him with that hurtful look. He nodded and whipped away his tears. Then he straightened his shoulders and looked as stoic and serious he could. Kyouya just turned around and took the other boy's hand, leading him through the base to his 'office'. Kaoru trembled, and Kyouya could feel how he did his best to not burst into tears again.

What to do, what to say? Kyouya needed to do something, to say something, to find a solution, needed something… something… but he couldn't find it. Kaoru's world crashed down and no matter what kind of smart remark he'd say, it wouldn't heal. He couldn't possibly ask this boy to pretend like nothing happened, to just keep on doing what he was doing. He did more inhuman things before but… there were borders. There was a certain line even he didn't cross. Didn't **want **to cross. Not with this boy. Not with this life.

The door gently closed and he pushed Kaoru on a chair. With a lack of good words, he started to search for something to repair him.

"Kyouya," for the first time, Kyouya didn't hear any sign of emotion in his voice. "I won't kill Hikaru. I'll kill everyone you tell me to, you point and I'll kill, but I'll **never **kill Hikaru. If you ask me to do that, I'll kill myself and you'll have to search yourself a new weapon."

Kyouya almost dropped what he was holding.

"Are you threatening me?" he asked, just as coldly.

The air built up with some kind of tension, a cold thickness slowly spreading. Kyouya didn't even turn around to look at the boy. He never heard Kaoru speaking like that. For once, the usual happiness and humanity was gone. He was using his position now to get what he wanted. Kyouya smirked a little. Kaoru sounded a lot like him. And even though he really didn't want Kaoru to turn out like him, somehow he found that amusing.

"No," came the simple answer. "I'm telling you the truth."

"I see," Kyouya turned around. "I won't ask you to kill Hikaru. Don't worry about that. There is no need for you to do that anyway. We try to save as ma-"

"No, we don't. I don't" Kaoru interrupted. "Why did you design me?"

Kyouya felt a cold shiver creeping up and everything inside him froze. He looked in his eyes and there were no tears anymore. Not a single sign of emotion. Nothing. Just emptiness. Just a broken boy. Just… a weapon.

"To kill, I assume. Even though that wouldn't be the precise answer," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Then that's what I'll do. I won't save anyone. I can't save anyone. I'll just kill. Because that's what you made me, that's who I am," he slowly got up.

"That's not entirely true either," Kyouya answered. "You're Kaoru."

"No. Kaoru equals Hikaru… And I definitely don't equal Hikaru," and then a tear welled up, "I destroyed everything, Kyouya…"

"That's not true. Don't…" he couldn't end his sentence.

A sad smile came upon his face.

"I'm sorry… It's… It's wrong to just take it out on you. You were only doing what you were told to. It's not your fault. You've done nothing wrong" he laughed an empty laugh, "I'm so selfish. I only think about myself. Only think about how sad this is for me. But what about you then? This is… sad for you too, right?"

"I'm okay. I'm only doing what needs to be done," he said. "And so are you."

"You know…" he looked down. "I really don't want to hurt him."

"I know," he answered.

"But no matter what I do…" tears left darker spots on his ripped pants.

"Kaoru…" he tried to stop him.

"I'm always the one who hurts him the most and…" he completely relaxed and looked up.

"Don't…" he warned.

"And maybe it's all better if I just die… I just want to die… please kill me… Please…" he pleaded.

Finally the long awaited plan came. Finally something shot into his head, finally he regained enough control again.

"Okay." he answered coldly.

He turned around and took a special gun, especially designed to be able to kill Kaoru if that was ever needed. If he ever lost control, he could blow the world up without an effort. He carefully aimed at his head.

"You know, it was so obvious to begin with," he started.

Oh please, please make this work. He never hoped more that a plan of his would work. He couldn't fail. He couldn't really shoot this boy. For so many reasons, he just didn't want to.

"What was?" but Kaoru reacted just as he thought he would.

"That it was all an act and that Hikaru never really cared about you," he answered, loading the gun.

"That's not true!" Kaoru jumped up and clenched his fists. "Of course Hikaru cares about me! He's my twin! Don't talk about him like that! Just what do you know about love?! You don't get anything… Of course Hikaru cares about me!"

Kaoru shook from anger. Just what did he know? He was never loved, he never had anyone beside him, and just how could he possibly know? Hikaru was Kaoru's angel, his life, his song, his reason for being and not a bad word about that was allowed. People had to learn stop talking about things they didn't know. Kaoru's mind was working in such a fast tempo he couldn't keep up anymore. It was just too much. The pain was just too unbearable. He couldn't take this. He couldn't survive with the thought of hurting Hikaru.

Hikaru didn't even scream. He just watched. Kaoru just watched him die. Because of him. All because of him.

"Ah, then you don't care about him," the gun was touching his forehead now. "Because you'll just leave him alone when things get difficult. You're just running. That's cowardly. So you don't really care enough to fight for him. You never really loved your twin."

Kaoru smashed the gun away, grabbing Kyouya by his collar. Without realising it he lifted him up several inches into the air. Kyouya didn't even struggle. He didn't even try to fight. It was useless anyway. Kaoru's eyes flamed with anger. Tears were welling up as he stared into Kyouya's eyes.

"I love him. You can't even come close to imagine how much I love him" he bit back. "I'm not like you. I'm not anything like yo-"

And then it hit him.

Slowly he let go of Kyouya, placing his feet back on the ground. His hands released their grip on his clothes and he looked down, ashamed. It had been there again. Kyouya's hidden kindness. It was one of those things he did and that made him seem like a bad person, even though his intentions were only to help. Kaoru didn't know why he liked to make the bad guy out of himself so much, but he always did. Kyouya always did.

He laughed.

"I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

Kyouya took a deep breath and smiled a little.

"Just a little."

"I'm sorry," Kaoru said and looked up. "I won't ask stupid things anymore… You're probably right… if I die then I won't solve anything."

"Not quiet, I think."

"Probably n-" Kaoru grimaced from the pain, grabbing his side and closing his eyes.

"Kaoru… I…" Kyouya looked at the boy. "I'm afraid you'll have to go there again. I know you don't like it, but it's the fastest way. This much damage can't be easily fixed."

Kaoru didn't even look up anymore.

"How long?" he simply asked.

Kyouya looked away from the boy and answered as emotionless as possible: "until tomorrow noon must be enough."

"O-Okay… Kyouya, will you do something for me?" Kaoru looked up, smiling a little.

"Depends," he answered back.

"Will you tell Hikaru I won't be coming home tonight? But you have to do it personally. Not just ringing him or leaving a message somewhere, I want you to go to our house and tell him. Because… I already hurt him enough… I don't want him to think that… that… that he's…"

But he couldn't say that word.

"Alone," Kyouya ended his sentence. "And surely, if that's all, I'll gladly do so."

"Thank you," Kaoru smiled. "Let's go then."

Kyouya nodded. He opened the door again and Kaoru followed. Kyouya barely noticed when Kaoru grabbed his hand, the touch cold but fluent. It had become some kind of tradition, some kind of habit. Neither of them knew why. Nor did they know how. Just one, it seemed Kaoru felt better when he held Kyouya's hand and that Kyouya felt slightly more comfortable leading the other through the base without having to look back all the time.

Kaoru always stayed behind. Kaoru always followed. Kaoru never lead. Kyouya came to notice these things, even when before they didn't seem important. But always, always Kaoru was one step behind someone. He was always one step behind Hikaru, he walked happily through the halls, fingers entwined and leading his brother. Hikaru always leaded and Kaoru always followed. Kyouya didn't know why, but he always did. Kaoru never went off on his own.

Everyone stared at them, eyes following them. Kyouya didn't really care anymore. Of course, he had to be careful. But he couldn't bring himself to let Kaoru go. Because no one really **said **to him he couldn't do this. No one actually ordered him to not touch that ultimate weapon he built. So until someone did, he'd hold Kaoru's hand, just because he didn't feel like letting go.

The door slowly opened and closed again. Going through all the security systems, Kaoru didn't say a word. He wasn't even surprised anymore when all the things happening here were even more technologic then a James Bond film. They had it all, first you had to identify by your voice, then your eyes were scanned, then a fingerprint. Kaoru knew it was only important for this room to be so highly protected. Because that was the room, the only place on earth, Kaoru was completely shut down and vulnerable.

Even a weapon like him could be killed then. It was the only place on earth where he could be hurt.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

The night was dark and cold. Kyouya stood for the large, wooden door, almost doubting about whether to knock or not. He sighed. It was better to keep Kaoru his friend and for the one time he asked something, he couldn't just refuse it. He slowly lifted his hand and knocked on the door.

Almost immediately it flew open and he heard a voice: "Kaoru?! Kaoru is that you?! Why are you kno-"

The voice died when the door was completely open and Kyouya stared into Hikaru's eyes, full of panic and dying hope. Bitterness took over and he folded his arms over his chest. He leaned back and said irritated: "Oh, it's you. Kaoru isn't here, so if you're here for him… What are you doing here anyway?"

"Kaoru won't be coming home this night. He won't be on school either," Kyouya answered coldly. "He asked me to come and tell you personally. That's all."

He turned around again and was ready to walk away, but Hikaru's voice stopped him, as the lonely twin snapped at him: "what have you done with him?"

"I'm not in any position to tell you that," he answered, not even bothering to turn around.

"Can I see him?" Hikaru asked, his hands on the doorway, staring at the dark haired boy's back.

"You can't." Kyouya answered. "You wouldn't want to, either."

"But he's my twin!" Hikaru clenched his fists and tried to fight the anger.

"Let him go, Hikaru… You'll only hurt him more if you keep holding on this desperately. This is out of your league. You can't help him anymore. The only reason he cries is because of you. Let him go and save him from that pain. I can take care of him. You don't have to bother anymore," he pushed up his glasses and stared at the empty street before him.

There was silence for a while. He could feel Hikaru's eyes staring disbelievingly at his back, the anger and indignation all around him, but he didn't say a word. Not wanting to give a change to get his act back together and start yelling at him, he walked away, leaving the completely lost boy behind.

"I can't believe this…" he silently muttered. "I can't believe you're **this **heartless!"

And without a warning Kyouya felt how he was pulled back, made a half turn and faced the hurt twin, almost going insane by the pain. His wrist felt like it was going to snap under his firm, painful grip, but he just stared back, not a single sign of emotion in his eyes.

"Even you, even you must feel **something**!" the grip on his wrist tightened even more.

"Let me go," he calmly said. "I have to check how your brother's doing."

"Twin!" he bit back. "Not just my brother. My twin. And I wanna see him. Now."

"I already told you that you can't. Don't make me repeat myself," Kyouya sighed uninterested.

"Then at least tell me what's going on! What have you done to him?!" Hikaru slowly released his grip.

"I've only done what was necessary. Nothing more and nothing less. Let it go, Hikaru. Kaoru doesn't need you. He doesn't need you to freak out. Let it go. There is nothing you can do," Kyouya turned around again. "I'll see you tomorrow at school."

And with that he walked away again, hearing the sharp gasps leaving his throat. It wasn't like he jealous. It wasn't like he hated the way Hikaru couldn't understand his own twin. It wasn't like anything, anything in this whole situation got to him. He was still outside and everything he said and everything he did was purely objective. There was no emotion involved at all.

No, it wasn't like he fell in love with Kaoru.

Hikaru stared until Kyouya complete disappeared into the darkness. He clenched his fists, fighting the tears. He couldn't even stop him. He couldn't even convince him to at least let him see his twin. He was just left alone, without a word to say. He turned around, smashed the door close and ran upstairs. Tears burned and a feeling of pure hate welled up. He flung open another door, running inside and shut the door close again. Tears fell down his cheek and he hid his face in Kaoru's pillow. He never felt so alone. He never was so alone.

Kaoru wasn't there. He was there, somewhere on this planet, somewhere so far away from him and … and Kyouya knew where. He did know. But Hikaru didn't. His own twin didn't know. This was too awful for words. Too awful to be true. Knowing it would be fruitless; he grabbed his cell phone and dialed Kaoru's number.

He didn't even expect him to answer.

Defeated, he smashed the phone away and fell back on the back. His eyes pierced through the ceiling and he could almost feel the loneliness burn something out of his heart. Things weren't suppose to be this way. He wanted Kaoru. He wanted to hear him say how everything would be alright. He wanted something to come and solve this all. He wanted the world to atone for its sins. No one had the right to do this to his precious twin.

Do what?

He didn't even know. He didn't even know what happened to his twin. All he could see were the tears, flowing over his cheeks, the ripped clothes, the blood everywhere, but not his. All he could remember were those gigantic black wings. Wings. Humans don't have wings.

He shivered.

Humans don't have wings. But humans do cry. He closed his eyes and turned around, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't get the picture out of his head. He tossed and turned, hated himself for not being able to protect Kaoru. Kaoru was alone too now. He was somewhere on the little planet and he was all alone. He must've been through so much and Hikaru never was there to…

But that would change. Hikaru smiled a little. Yes, that would all change.

From now on, he wouldn't leave his beautiful twin alone anymore. From now on, he would protect him against everything. From now on, he'd be the twin he should've been all along.

Nothing on this little planet could change his love for Kaoru. Nothing. And it was time to let that show. Now his twin needed him, there was no way he'd back down and let him be alone. Starting from tomorrow, starting for the first second they'd be together again, Hikaru swore that with a all his might, that with all the power love could give him, he'd make this world a better place for his twin.

Love could defeat everything, even reality. Love could take away the pain. Love was all they needed. And Hikaru loved his twin. More then anyone on this planet could ever imagine.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

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Yaaaaaaaaay! Second chapter! Woah, I'm sooooo thankful for all the reviews I got! Love you all! Uhm, well about this chapter: Sorry that it took so long, but it's a lot... And the next is going to be as long or maybe even a little longer... I'm sorry! XD And for the rest... Uhm... I'm sorry for not really describing how Kaoru felt when Hikaru saw him, but I think it's the same as Hikaru, probably... I mean, if I'd write that too it would be even longer and there would be a lot of repeating. I know, I always repeat. But that's my writing style so... Can't help it XD Oh! And! And! Those who say Kyouya can't be emotinal are W R O N G. Watch ep 24 again XD He CRIED, yes, cried, because of some music. Yeah, sure, piano is beautiful but to cry? Meeeeh... Wuss! XD Sooooo, if he can cry because of that, he can surely get emotianal about Kaoru in this kind of situation. Muhahah. And yeah... Hikaru is pretty quick over it, but he's not really over it, you see? He just wants to help his twin, but that doesn't mean he's not confused about this anymore. Just wanted to let you know. As for the rest... uhm... I think that's all? Oh, and I promise there'll be some KyouKao action in the next chapter XDDD And... some... uhm, Anti-HaruHika? But I'm not going to spoil more XDD

Please review! It **really **made me happy! I'm soooo grateful to everyone who put his precious time into trying making me a better writer or just telling me that someone in this world is reading my story and thinks it's okay. Thank you!

**Credits to Hoenn:**

As always, she Beta'd. XD Yay! She's soooo cool! -Gives Hoenn chocolate XD-

See you guys!

- Jazy-chan!


	3. Human Bonds

_**One Last Love Story.**_

…**Chapter Three… … Human Bonds …**

"Do you know what I believe, Kaoru?" he softly whispered, his hand on the cold glass.

Kyouya never expected an answer. He knew he wouldn't get any. He knew the boy couldn't answer. He was completely shut down, completely gone. His eyes were closed and he looked peacefully. Greenish water filled with his own genes and dissolved medicines, slowly slid over his body. Kyouya's hand rested on the coffin-like machine. There was only one part that was glass, on the height of Kaoru's face. Inside everything was filled with a mysterious blue light, also made just to make him recover faster.

Except for the monotone noises the machines made, there was no sound in the room. The light spread a warm glow, but wasn't nearly enough to light up the whole room. Inside here there was only the silence, the silence that testified of the sound outside. Kyouya sighed, his hand running over the metal cage Kaoru was trapped in. He turned around, leaving the silence as it was, adjusting something on a huge computer screen. He never thought something like this would be possible. He never wanted those things to be real. Everything was like in the movies he saw, with the high technological stuff, with the power and the explosions, with the human sacrifice and all.

But Kyouya knew this story wouldn't have a happy ending. This story wouldn't end with a kiss and a smile. If this story would end, it would take the earth in its tragic fall. There was no happy ending possible. There was no magic, no power on this whole planet that could change that fate. Kyouya already knew. Kyouya wasn't scared of dying anymore. He never was.

If he died, he wouldn't lose anything. He never had anything to start with. He was merely a tool, used to use other people. He was nothing more then chess-piece in the game everyone called life. He turned back and looked at the sleeping boy.

He never deserved that. But he was the only one who had the slightest change of surviving. He was the only one who could save them. He was their only hope. Still, it wasn't fair. Kyouya sighed. He shouldn't think about it so much, he had no reason to be worried so much over it. Kaoru agreed, his parents agreed, so he did nothing wrong.

He only did what was necessary. The world was a cruel place and inside it cruel things happen. However, there was absolutely no reason to think he was cruel. He was nothing on his own. He only did what he was ordered to do so. He only did what they told him to do. It wasn't like he came up with it in the first place; he was just the only one who had enough knowledge and who was willing to do such a thing. Maybe he was the only one who was selfish enough to do something like that to a person.

He still remembered. He still remembered the scared look in Kaoru's eyes, the way he hid it with a smile. He clenched his fist. Kaoru never deserved this. Why didn't he fight back then? Why did he just give up like that? Why wasn't there anyone… anyone who told him he would feel like this?

He always thought he was so good at seeing through people, but to be honest he completely underestimated the younger Hitachiin twin. At first, when he heard it was him who agreed to be the one who would undergo this experiment, he laughed in himself, knowing he would back down when it would come to that.

But he didn't. Kaoru didn't back down. He just smiled and hopped on the table, gave him a bright smile and started to tell about Hikaru and soon the fear disappeared out of his voice. Kyouya could've sworn that if he let him, Kaoru would've talked for hours and hours. He wasn't even scared anymore.

He just smiled.

Why wasn't he scared? Why did he put all that trust in him? Why did he agree with being used like that?

Kaoru wasn't like Kyouya. He had so many options, such a wide future if he only wanted. Kyouya was trapped and couldn't get out. He was born in a cage and nothing could change that. He would've agreed if they asked him. He had nothing to live for anyway. If he would've died, no one would miss him. But Kaoru was a completely other story. Kaoru loved life. Kaoru loved smiling and pulling pranks on people. Kaoru loved his twin. Kaoru loved this little planet and everyone on it. Kaoru was just a kid, without a decent opinion about death or any serious question.

Or at least he thought so. But Kaoru was so much more. Kaoru knew very well what death was. It was only because he knew that he had to protect his twin from such a fate at all costs. Why was he willing to sacrifice himself, just so someone else could live a peaceful life? Kaoru would laugh if Kyouya ever asked that, he knew. He would give him another bright smile and answer that it was so simple. So he just kept silent.

Kyouya didn't get it. He just couldn't understand how anyone would sacrifice his own life for someone else. Kaoru seemed to think it was something obvious, something that was for granted, something like an unwritten rule. It was probably love, he laughed back then, because love makes fool of everyone.

Love was a mental illness if Kaoru did this for love. If love caused a human to turn out like this, Kyouya never wanted to love. Love made people behave like fools, made their judgment blurry, made their emotions take over. No, Kyouya would never fall in love.

Four days. 96 hours. 5760 minutes. 345600 seconds.

That's how long it took to take away all humanity of the boy. He was still incomplete after that and there were a lot of adjustments to make, a lot of things to change, but the basic model was ready. Four days. It took him four days to accomplish what before him no one else did.

He lost count how many hours in total he spent on making the boy as perfect as it could be. He was his best work. He was an accomplishment no one ever made. He was a record, a miracle. He was the ultimate weapon.

And he was still human, a boy.

Just a selfless, lively, devilish boy. Just a boy of barely sixteen, just a boy. He never did anything wrong in his life. He could've been anything, everything, could've reached the stars. But instead Kyouya bound him inside a cage. He trapped him and he couldn't get out. Kaoru was made for killing, but he hated it. Kaoru was made for destroying, but he loved to see things grow. Kaoru wasn't a cold blooded killing machine. He only tried to be, because that was people expected from him.

Kaoru hated letting people down. Kaoru hated being less then people thought he would be. Because if people were disappointed in him, that automatically meant people were disappointed in Hikaru too. And Kaoru hated being the reason why Hikaru would be less then he could be. That was why he wasn't scared or sad when Hikaru fell in love with Haruhi. Kyouya still didn't really get it, but Kaoru told him that it was a great opportunity for Hikaru to grow a little stronger, to grow a little more Hikaru without Kaoru. And it didn't matter if that meant he was alone or he would be alone. It didn't matter as long as Hikaru was happy.

Kyouya clenched his fist again, still looking at the sleeping boy's face. It wasn't like he was jealous. It wasn't like the way he got sick every time he thought about how that idiot of a Hikaru couldn't even understand his own twin, was because he was jealous. He just didn't like it. He just didn't like the way Kaoru sacrificed everything for him and he… he…

He sighed.

"I believe I'm infected too, somehow. It must be contagious," he softly said, knowing no one would hear, hoping no one would.

Love, huh? Yes, it seemed he… It was a stupid thing to do. It was useless and it would cause him a lot of trouble, without doubt. But did it really matter? He also believed the world would end soon. He didn't believe this world would be ended peacefully. Somehow, everything said and done just made him believe this was really the end.

This was far beyond the terror of a World War 3. This was even bigger. The whole world was fighting. Fighting within the same country, fighting outside. His position wasn't high enough, so the exact reason was still unclear. It didn't matter either. All he knew was that humans were stupid and this couldn't be solved. If it was able to be solved in peace, then why did he have to create a weapon like that? It didn't made sense, if he thought about this.

Kaoru had the strength. Kaoru could blow up this earth if he wanted too. Kaoru could end this war if he wanted. If he only wanted. But he'd never want to, because on this world there was Hikaru. On this little planet there was that single being and for him he'd do everything. As long as he lived, everything was fine.

Kyouya walked around a little, as in an attempt to warm up a little again. It was getting colder and colder. It would be winter soon. Snow would fall. Snow would be colored by blood too. He smirked. He was going insane here, all alone. He was tired of the lack of sleep and couldn't think straight anymore. He had to find a kind of solution to Kaoru's problem, now Hikaru saw. He sighed. Why did he have to make everything so much more difficult?

The door silently went open and Kyouya turned around. A small, blonde boy stood in the doorway.

"They told me to come replace you," he said.

"I can handle it here perfectly, Mitsukuni," he answered, looking back at Kaoru's sleeping face.

The door closed automatically again and Honey stepped closer, leaning over to get a glimpse as well. He smiled, pressing the pink bunny against his chest.

"He looks peaceful, doesn't he?" he said after some time.

"He certainly does," Kyouya answered.

He looked up and smiled again.

"Really, just go. I'll contact you if we need you. Even you should get some sleep."

Kyouya looked back at Kaoru, laying there so peaceful. He hesitated for a moment. Honey watched him stand there and another smile decorated his face. He squeezed his pink bunny and happily said: "don't worry about him."

"I wasn't. I won't." Kyouya answered shortly. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle?"

"Yes! Yes! Now you go home and sleep!" the blonde boy cheered.

"Okay then… I'll see you at school tomorrow," and with that he walked away.

Honey watched him walk away, hearing the door shut close. He pressed the pink bunny again tight to his chest and took a step closer to the machine Kaoru was laying in. He smiled and whispered: "He really cares about you, Kaoru… So take good care of him, okay?"

The peaceful look on his sleeping face agreed.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Hikaru wasn't used to being alone. Hikaru wasn't used to being left behind. Hikaru wasn't used to being helpless when it came to his little brother. He wasn't used to feeling things he couldn't explain, not when those feelings were caused by his own mirror image. He wasn't used to standing there, all alone at the large window, staring outside, hoping for a sign of salvation, hoping for a wonderful plan to come in mind. It was morning, early and cold, but there was no way he could sleep. He wasn't used of going to sleep without his twin.

He was slowly getting used to waking up alone, though, but he still hated it. He was getting used to the cold when he opened his eyes, to that note lying there, with only his fading scent and his curly handwriting as a sign he ever existed.

What to say? What to do? Even when the night of confrontation was temporized; there would still be that cold and silent moment. What to say, what to do? He couldn't pretend like nothing happened, he wouldn't make anything better with doing so. Then what? There were no answers to his desperately repeated question. So he stood there, listening to the rain, watching how the sky cried for the loss of what once was his life, and thought. There was nothing else he could do. He didn't even understand what happened to his twin.

They changed him. No, **Kyouya **did. It must be him. It must be all his fault. That was why Kaoru always went back to him, crawled away from all that he knew. Why else? There couldn't be any other reason. He didn't know what happened, but it was all Kyouya's fault.

Deep inside, in the pit of his stomach, the seed of mindless hate and bitterness planted, waiting for the right opportunity to grow. And grow it would. Faster and faster, fed with the bitterness of being alone, all turned into hate towards that one person. That one person that took Hikaru's life away from him.

Hikaru wasn't mad at Kaoru. Couldn't be. He didn't hate him, didn't blame him. Couldn't. Because he was everything, his life, his sun, everything that was possibly right. He couldn't be wrong. Kaoru couldn't hurt him. Kaoru couldn't be the cause of this awful pain that spread through his body, made his heart numb, his mind blurry, his eyes dry from the tears that refused to fall. Kaoru couldn't be the name of the source of this loneliness.

It must be someone else. And the only person that came to mind was Kyouya. He was selfish enough to do something like that. He was heartless enough to destroy a human life without regret. He could've done this to Kaoru. It must be him. It must be through his actions that they ended up on this dead end. It must be him who screwed with their world, who messed up what was so perfectly in balance.

Hikaru's eyes narrowed. His hands clenched in fists. The rain poured down, still poured, washing this planet's sins and mistakes away. Some things couldn't be undone. But they could be adjusted, twisted in such a way that it would be livable again. Hate welled up deep inside, branches grabbing around, leaves growing until in his body was a full-grown tree of hate.

Pure hate towards that one person that caused him this pain.

Hikaru didn't know how, but he would make him pay. Once his twin was in a happy state again, he would make him pay for making his lovely, perfectly innocent twin **cry**. Without doubt, he was going to make him regret for messing with their world, for messing with a God inside that world. He would make him crawl and beg until the pain inside him disappeared. He would make him beg for mercy, even when there was no way that would've been showed.

No one, **no one **in this whole world had the right to hurt his twin. No one. And those who did would be taught a lesson. Hikaru would make sure that happened. Kaoru was something untouchable, something only he could reach. Kaoru was **his **twin, **his **love, and those precious tears were only meant for **him**, even when he'd make sure they never had to fall. Kaoru was a God, an angel. Kaoru didn't deserve pain, Kaoru deserved all the best in this world.

He loved his twin and no one could break that bond. He wouldn't let them. He wouldn't ever let them.

The red figures on his digital clock lighted an anguished six in the room. The sun didn't have the courage to peek over the edge of the world that day Hikaru Hitachiin decided to make Kyouya Ootori pay for all the damage done to his twin.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

The school was damaged horrible. The whole left side of the building was gone. The rain left dark, muddy puddles in the once so beautiful school. The grey clouds hid the sun, who was still to afraid to show up, to disgust by what this little planet had become. There was only the rain, the desperate rain that tried to wash it all away, to wash away the stains, to heal the scars. But it couldn't. It couldn't erase Hikaru's memory. The wind blew with all it's might, cold and harsh, just as the world outside was.

The door made a muffled sound as he smashed it open. His umbrella shut up respectfully. A driver was left with shaky knees by only the memory of the look in the eyes of the elder Hitachiin twin when he stepped inside the car this morning. Never had he been so dark, so silent, so hateful toward this world. There had been no laugh or playful comment. There had only been the silence. Hikaru Hitachiin went to school with a secret mission.

The mission to make that bastard pay for what he done to his twin.

He was through with it. He was through with being pushed aside and being ignored. He was through with knowing there was something wrong, but not exactly what. He wouldn't watch their world fall apart. He wouldn't be alone. Oh God, no… No… He wouldn't be alone in the end.

Yes, maybe he was scared. Maybe he was so deathly afraid that his legs refused moving and that he couldn't breathe anymore. He had never been alone. And right now, on that very moment he needed his twin the most, he wasn't there. He wasn't there. They took him away. They ripped them apart. Just shamelessly, harshly separated them.

Kaoru was different now. Kaoru wasn't like Hikaru anymore.

Hikaru never liked change. Hikaru never liked Kaoru to change. Kaoru was the only right thing in the world and he couldn't change. Not in this way. Kaoru was perfect as he was right now. Hikaru shivered. Kaoru was the most perfect being in this world.

Hikaru spotted the devil, the source of his hate, the cause of the pain, talking to the blonde boy, that self-proclaimed king. He didn't seem to know about the painful, awful, merciless fate Hikaru had in mind for him, for he stood there smiling a little. His hand slid to the clasp knife in his pocket.

He wasn't doing anything wrong. It was only normal for an elder twin to protect the younger one, right? Hikaru nodded in himself. Yes. Right. Completely right. He wasn't the one that was wrong. He was only protecting what was already destroyed. Only hoping for a way that would make the pain stop, make it stop.

He stepped over a broken pillar, elegantly avoiding the puddle of water. Putting up a fake smile was easier then he imagined and his voice sounded cheerful to his own surprise when he said: "Hey."

Tamaki looked up. A look of regret and sorrow flew over his handsome features, but was replaced just as fast with his usual happy look as he gave him a smile and a happy 'hey' back. Kyouya just looked up, nodded as to tell him that he saw him. Hikaru just stood there, the rain resounding on his umbrella.

"Come, let's go inside," Tamaki suggested, feeling the tension between the two boys.

Hikaru nodded.

"Did Haruhi arrive yet?"

"Ah, yes, she's already inside," Tamaki answered. "Oh, yeah, before I forget: the Host Club will be going on nonetheless. They need us the most now, right?"

A sigh.

"What is happening to this world?"

Hikaru shrugged.

"Kaoru isn't here," he said, finally. "I can't do our 'brotherly love' act alone."

"Play the role of the hurt lover," Kyouya gave him a meaningful, almost despising look, but his polite smile stayed, while he said: "you're pretty good at that."

Hikaru had to keep himself from hitting him in his face and sweep that arrogant smile off his ugly face. But instead of breaking his bones and making him suffer, he just smiled back, just as deceitful, with the same hidden message and answered: "I'm probably just a born actor."

"Probably," came the cold answer.

Tamaki just gave them a nervous laugh, for the first time not knowing what to do or what to say. He was smarter then asking where Kaoru was. An unneeded question anyway, because he knew very well. He knew what happened to the younger Hitachiin twin and he was also informed that Hikaru saw him and knew something changed. A lot changed. Everything changed. Nothing stayed the same.

Hikaru walked inside, placing his umbrella against the wall and staring outside. He didn't even go search Haruhi, didn't really want to talk to her. What was there to say? What was there to say when he was alone? He was nothing alone, not even interesting. He sighed. The person he wanted to talk to the most, wasn't there. Kaoru never thought Hikaru was boring. Never. Even when all he said was useless, because Kaoru already knew before he even said. But still he listened. He always listened. He always sat there and smiled to him, waiting until the right words voiced the right feeling, even when that could take so long, because Hikaru wasn't as good with words as he was. Hikaru didn't like to talk. All he wanted was to be with his twin.

It was amazing that even that could be too much for this world.

"Hikaru?" Haruhi sounded concerned. "Where is Kaoru?"

Hikaru looked at her, his eyes widening to his own surprise. He opened his mouth to answer, but then it struck him.

He didn't know.

He didn't know where his own twin was.

There was that sting in his chest, that pain taking control over him. That feeling that screamed inside his head, that begged him to cry. But he couldn't. He just turned all that pain in hate again. He couldn't cry, wouldn't cry. Not him. Not Hikaru. Kyouya didn't have to think that he could get what he wanted. He didn't have to think for a second there Hikaru would admit that this hurt him. Because he knew, for sure, that it would be used against him. So he just tried, tried helplessly to regain control.

"H-Hikaru?"

"I don't know," he answered, those simple words hurting him more the he though they could.

More then they should.

Haruhi watched how he got himself under control again and showed her a fake smile, that smile she had gotten a lot lately. Inside her something stung. Something hurt. She couldn't really name it. It was maybe that she saw his untrue smile too many times, maybe just that she saw that look in his eyes when he wasn't **really **interested in her too many times. He didn't love her. Haruhi smiled back, her eyes quickly flying to the world outside, to anywhere, as long as it wasn't Hikaru.

Hikaru didn't really love her. He probably didn't know and Haruhi couldn't really tell herself why suddenly she realized this. He tried to love her. She knew that as well. But he didn't. He just didn't. He was too busy with other things to be in love with. Too busy with someone else.

Immediately she slapped herself mentally. It wasn't like she was jealous on the attention Kaoru got from Hikaru. That was normal. They were twins. No, it wasn't that that bothered Haruhi. It was just that… It wasn't the attention, it wasn't the way he always thought about his twin and **not **about her, even when he always said he wasn't, no, really wasn't thinking about Kaoru. It wasn't that. It was just… It was just that there was something more. Something more about the way he smiled to him, something more then just…

But that would be disgusting. No, really, she was going crazy. She shivered, and automatically she felt how Hikaru took her hand, as to warm her a little. She smiled politely.

Automatically.

That was it. When he was her, all he did was acting **automatically**. He didn't think, didn't show what he really was. He just smiled to her, because a boyfriend in supposed to smile, he just held her hand, because he was supposed to do that. Haruhi bit her lip. The more she thought about it, the clearer it was. Or maybe she was just going crazy. Maybe she was just thinking too much. Maybe something really bad happened to Kaoru and he had all the reasons in the world to be upset about him.

The world was inconsolable and so was Hikaru. Lesson started with a minute silence for all the victims of yesterday's air raid. War. This world was at war. And Kaoru was caught in the middle of it. A long, long list of names, names Hikaru could place a face on perfectly, yet left him completely cold, was read and with every other name, another crying fit started, or someone's crying became even louder. Hikaru didn't cry. Hikaru had no reason to cry. Because Kaoru was still alive and even if the whole world died around him, as long as Kaoru was there, there wasn't anything to cry about.

But Kaoru wasn't there. His eyes widened. Tears welled up. Kaoru wasn't there. Refusing to cry, he stared outside again, staring over the broken world, like somehow he expected his twin to show up there and smile to him. He could make the loneliness disappear. Hikaru wouldn't be mad, no… he would just…

A tear fell unless his struggle.

He would just give everything to see that smile again, to tell Kaoru he wasn't mad, he wasn't disappointed or hurt… He would've given everything just to see Kaoru's face once more when he woke up.

It must've been the first time in his life he didn't get scolded for not paying attention. He just couldn't. But this time he wasn't the only one. Everyone was scared. Everyone was afraid of that moment the world would die; the one close to them would die. Lessons seemed to be a lifetime, without Kaoru there to give secret messages, to annoy Haruhi.

The world just wasn't the same without Kaoru. He hated the world without Kaoru. He hated the person he was without Kaoru. Being without Kaoru, was missing his other half. And no one, no matter how tough they are, can survive without their other half.

Wandering through empty halls, searching for the place they'd use as Host Club from now on, since the Third Music Room was damaged as well, the wind coming inside with cold, harsh blows and the rain pouring down continuously. The world seemed grey, broken. Hikaru sighed. He wished Kaoru was there, to keep his mind of the sad world. But he wasn't there. And that hurt more then Hikaru could ever imagine it would've. Every second away from his twin, was a second his sanity got eaten away a little more. He was so sorry for taking their love for granted, for believing in fairytales, for believing there never would come a day he… he had to fight for the one he loved the most.

But he wouldn't let Kaoru down. No way. Never. He didn't know how, but somehow, somehow for sure, he'd save his twin. His eyes wandered through the cold, empty halls and he took a deep breath, inhaled the scent of the dying earth and exhaled some hope. He finally found what he was searching for and pushed the wooden door open. Kyouya looked up, the only one yet inside. He didn't even give him his polite smile, just looked back and scrabbled further on his notebook.

Hikaru had to fight the urge to turn away, smash the door and run away. Instead he closed the door. He leaned back, his eyes focused on the sole person, all alone, and the source of his unnamable pain. He sounded cold, when he heard his own voice ask: "Where is he?"

Kyouya didn't even look up.

"I already told you twice I'm in no position to say that. Don't make me repeat that over and over again. You'll see him this evening."

"I don't care. Where is he?"

"I can't tell you."

A sigh.

"Kyouya… What have you done to him?"

"I am in no position to tell you that."

"What is happening?"

"I am in no position to tell you that."

"Stop that! Where is he and what have you done to him! Tell me! Now!"

An irritated sigh.

"I am in no po-"

The next thing Kyouya knew was the way the ground hit the back of his head, the way his notebook flew into the air and came down with a soft crash and the way Hikaru grabbed his T-shirt, his eyes blazing with fire. Both didn't say a word. Kyouya didn't even wince. Hikaru trembled all over, trying to control the urge to grab the clasp knife in his pocket and do something, something. He didn't cry. He just stared.

Why didn't anyone care? Why didn't anyone cry because of what was happening to this world? Why couldn't he see his twin? Why couldn't he help his own twin? Why? Why?

The knife was on Kyouya's throat quicker then both boys thought it would be. An empty laugh resounded.

Kyouya looked down and said, almost as to provoke the twin is his already labile state: "Do you really believe that would solve anything?"

Kyouya's eyes caught his and Hikaru couldn't move, couldn't find a right answer. He just had to do something, had to think of something even worse then the pain he was feeling. The world wouldn't care. The world wouldn't grief for one more lost life.

His hand trembled around the knife, clutched at the things until his knuckles looked white. His breath was sharp and his eyes alone were enough kill someone. The knife trembled along with the desperate boy.

"But you know, Hikaru? You can't kill me. Because I am the only one who can save Kaoru. You know that, don't you? You're not that stupid, probably. I'm the only one who knows how to save your little twin. Without me, he's nothing. Without me, he'll die," Kyouya leaned even closer to the knife, a little blood dripping over his neck

Hikaru backed down, eyes wide of fear, almost panic. He withdrew the knife from Kyouya's neck, even when it was only for a mere inch. His trembling became more panicked, more desperate. He couldn't **kill **someone. This wasn't right. His mind wasn't working anymore. He was just scared, just afraid… just… just…

But it was his fault. His fault. He took his twin away from him. He made Kaoru cry. He made Kaoru sad. He was the source of the pain, he was the devil himself and Kaoru would be so much happier without him. He had to protect him, keep him from crying more, keep him for leaving him.

The two sides in his head screamed through each other, panicked both, yelled and cried out. But he couldn't move. Indecisive, hesitating, shaking, the knife hung into the air. One voice, one side urged him to cut, to hurt, to stab, to make him bleed, to make someone else suffer, but another part screamed that he couldn't do this, that this wasn't right.

And then he snapped.

"Shut up!" he screamed, pushing Kyouya back on the floor, not knowing whether he was screaming to Kyouya or to the voices in his head.

Kyouya broke his fall by putting his arm backward and still faced the panicking boy. The look in his eyes didn't change once. He just kept looking so cold. Just kept looking like he didn't do anything wrong. Hikaru needed to break something, to hurt someone, just to forget the pain. But he couldn't.

"And beside, if you do kill me, Kaoru will be disappointed. Don't ask me where he got it, but he really believes you're some kind of saint. He believes in you. You're everything to him. If you kill me, no, if you hurt me, he'll see. He sees everything. Another thing 'I did to him' as you like to say it. Kaoru doesn't hate me. I don't care whether you do or not, but remember that you'll definitely hurt your brother by hurting one of his friends," and the knife was pushed away, easily, for all Hikaru could do was stare, was gasp for the dying air that didn't fill his painful lungs.

The side that was just pathetic, that couldn't kill someone, that couldn't step over the line, won. He dropped the knife and continued to stare, his heart racing so fast he thought it wouldn't stop anymore. Tears formed, but didn't fall. He bit his lip, clenched his hands around the fabric of his pants, felt the pain even worse.

What was he thinking?

He wasn't thinking. Kaoru always thought. He never learned how to think, how to handle difficult situations, because Kaoru always did. And Kaoru was supposed to be there, always.

Kyouya stood back up, fixed his glassed and picked up his notebook. He gave the horrified boy one last look and continued doing whatever he was doing. Hikaru trembled, stared.

"I…" he muttered after some time, "I just want to see him…"

"Go take a look in the mirror," the cold answer came, "or wait until tonight."

Hikaru gave him a sarcastic smile, pulling himself back together. He stood up as well, hiding the knife again. For a second he thought about apologizing, but he just couldn't bring himself to that. Why was this world so cold?

He wanted to say something, to bite back with a clever answer, but the door opened and Tamaki walked inside, accompanied by Haruhi. She smiled to Hikaru, who only gave her the smallest smile back.

"I assume we're not going to cosplay?" he asked like nothing happened.

"That would indeed be correct," the answer came, also like nothing happened.

Kyouya couldn't even blame Hikaru. True, it was stupid to abandon thinking and solve everything through violence, but… the things happening to this world weren't as easy as normal life was. Discreetly, he gave him another look and couldn't help himself to think about Kaoru. Cold, inhuman Kaoru. Kaoru, who was sleeping there, in his metal cage, drowning in the misery of this world. Kaoru who was always crying and trembling, Kaoru who tried to be strong and was strong, but couldn't believe it.

Kaoru, who saw his life crashing down and still smiled. Still smiled to him. Still smiled to the person who made him that way. Still smiling.

The grip on his pen tightened, as his scrabbling became faster. Almost desperately became the sounds of screeching. Kyouya looked away from the rest of the world, hoping that soon this day would end.

"Konnichiwaaaa!" a happy voice cheered, like the world was still a nice place to be.

Hikaru gave the little blond boy the brightest smile he could find, but his lips barely curled. He couldn't smile without Kaoru. He couldn't be without Kaoru. He laughed a little in himself. Kaoru would scold him if he ever knew that. He'd say that Hikaru had Haruhi now and that everything was fine without him. Kaoru would smile to him and tell him that weren't one; they were just too close for their own good. Then he'd say that even without him, Hikaru still had to smile, still had to be normal, still had to be happy. Kaoru didn't like it when someone depended on him. He was always afraid of letting people down. Always afraid to just not reach far enough.

But Kaoru was never scared when Hikaru was there. And Hikaru wasn't scared when Kaoru was there. Together, they could conquer the world. Together, they were perfect. Together… but not alone.

Honey jumped off Mori's shoulders and immediately hugged Hikaru. Hikaru seemed to snap back to reality and looked down.

"Don't look so sad," Honey whimpered.

"I'm not sad," and he couldn't even give him a **fake **smile.

"You look sad," Honey said back, pouting a little.

"Mitsukuni…" Mori warned.

Hikaru looked outside.

"I just want to go home," but he didn't end that he wouldn't want to come home alone.

"But we haven't even started yet!" Tamaki protested.

"I don't care!" Hikaru couldn't stay there any second longer, "it's not like I can do my act without Kaoru anyway!"

And then a tear welled up. He clenched his fists. Everyone stared. Everyone was silent. Only Kyouya's undisturbed screeching on paper made a sound. Honey hugged Mori's leg, who protectively laid a hand on his blonde hair. Hikaru trembled, didn't want to be so damn pathetic. But he couldn't help it. Kaoru was always the one to keep him in control, to make the pain just that little easier to bear.

The more he was without Kaoru, the more he realized he couldn't be without Kaoru. He wasn't meant to be without him. Why else would've they been born on the same day? Why else did they never leave each other's side? It all made sense.

"… I am really starting to wonder how Kaoru can put up with such a pathetic person as you, Hikaru. Stop whining about him. He wouldn't like it," Kyouya said suddenly, his voice still polite.

He just couldn't take it. He just couldn't take the way Hikaru was acting so damn pathetic and Kaoru so strong. He knew he was being out of line, being different then he usual was. He knew such words shouldn't be said. But at least it made him stop.

A hand hit his cheek and once more he found his notebook flying around.

"Hikaru!" he heard Haruhi's voice sounding, as he blinked a few time.

"Don't you talk like you **know **him! You're nothing! You're nothing and I'm everything!" Hikaru stood over him, and Kyouya just looked up. "You're nothing to him! You don't know him! And I don't want to hear you say his sweet name ever, **ever **again! Don't act like you know everything, don't act like you know us. You'll never know what love is, so don't open your mouth about it!"

"Hikaru!" again.

"No, Haruhi! I'm so sick of his arrogance, so sick of the way he thinks, but never knows. You're nothing, Kyouya," a kick in his side. "You'll never be a part of our world. I won't let you."

The gates were closed and no one could get in. Hikaru wouldn't let anyone come in. He stepped over Kyouya, who calmly got up, and turned around.

"I'm going home," Hikaru reclaimed.

Kyouya didn't wince, not even when his side burned, when his head pounded. He just watched how Hikaru slammed the door shut.

"W-What was that with him?" Haruhi broke the silence, indignity sounding through. "Are you okay?"

She walked over to Kyouya and gave him an apologizing smile. He pushed his glasses right again and gave her a polite smile back.

"I'm fine," he simply answered, even though it was so soft he didn't even know whether Haruhi heard him or not.

"Really! What was he thinking?! Ah! You're bleeding!" Haruhi pointed at the cut in his neck.

"Ah… that's fine, really. Don't mind me," Kyouya gave her another smile, but inside he felt cold, froze even more. The words resounded in his head.

'_You're nothing. You're nothing to him.'_

"I'll talk to him next time, okay?" she smiled.

"I don't think that will help, but if you whish to do so…" Kyouya looked at the door.

Talking wouldn't help anymore. Talking was useless. What were words, when a world was crashed down? What were words, when there was only pain that spoke? What were words in this destructive world of war? Kyouya sighed, picked his notebook up and sat down again. The doors flung open and the usual happy, warm greet was said, but everyone knew things were different now.

No one said a word about the missing twins. No one asked about how it came that Hikaru rushed nearly crying outside, no one pointed at the cut in Kyouya's neck. They just shivered and hoped that nothing had happened. No one dared to voice what was in their mind. They just smiled and laughed and the act continued.

The lie continued and the world carried on.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Kyouya gave the boy his clothes. Kaoru smiled, running a hand through his still wet hair.

"Thank you," he smiled happily. "Can I ask you something?"

Kyouya froze. Now it would come. The blame, the disappointment, the hurt voice when he'd say that it was all his fault for hurting Hikaru. But Kyouya managed to nod anyway.

'_Don't act like you know him.'_

"Do you have something to do this Saturday?" Kaoru kept smiling.

Kyouya looked up and raised an eyebrow. He leaned back against the wall and watched the boy dress.

"No, I don't think so," he answered. "Why?"

'_You are nothing to him. Nothing.'_

"We could do something together," Kaoru's smile widened and he fought with his tie, "for your birthday. It's your birthday then, isn't it?"

Kyouya looked at the boy for a few seconds; his offer had caught him off guard in a weird way. He really didn't know what to say or how to react. So he just stared, hoping his eyes wouldn't show too many emotions. He just stood there and Kaoru kept smiling, the fight with his tie continuing. Not knowing a better reaction, Kyouya took a step forward, gently took over his tie and starting tying it neatly.

"That would indeed be the date of my birthday. What did you have in mind to do then?" he said, but he avoided Kaoru's look, feeling a weird way of awkward.

Maybe doing his tie for him wasn't such a good idea. He stood way too close. Too close. He could feel Kaoru's surprisingly warm breath on his cheeks, could feel his smile burn its way to his heart. If Kaoru still had a heart, he was sure he would've heard it beating. So close he stood. He never stood so close to someone. Never. But Kaoru was different. He didn't have to act around him, because really, he saw through the cold act immediately. And there were times when he wished that wasn't so. Like now.

"I don't really know… I didn't think of anything. What would you like to do?" Kaoru looked down at Kyouya's pale, long fingers running over the fabric of the tie.

The tie was done and Kyouya could've stepped away, or maybe not completely. So he just kept standing there and looked up. He shrugged, but didn't take a step back. Kaoru smiled. Kyouya smiled back. Without knowing why, he smiled back. Just a small, almost unnoticeable smile, but he smiled back.

"Doesn't really matter…" he answered. "What do you usually do on a birthday?"

Kaoru laughed.

"You mean you don't know? Come on, this isn't your first birthday," and his eyes smiled with him.

"No, that's true," Kyouya's eyes didn't change when he added: "However, this is the first time someone wants to celebrate it."

"Whaaaaaat?!" Kaoru seemed to be taken aback, almost hurt at that statement.

Kyouya just smiled, looking at the completely exaggerated reaction of the younger boy. He liked those moments, even if he would never admit. He loved those moments when Kaoru seemed a normal boy, just normal, just a boy. He loved the moments when Kaoru laughed and he loved that face he made when he was 'hurt' because of a something that seemed to be the end of the world for Kaoru and just a mere detail for Kyouya. He loved the way they were so different. He loved the way Kaoru was so different from anything or anyone else.

"I don't mind," and he shrugged calmly.

'_You're nothing and I'm everything.'_

"But I do!" Kaoru placed his hands in his side. "Then I'll make sure you'll have the best time of your life!"

Kyouya didn't know why, but Kaoru looked funny the way he stood there, his hands on his hips, his eyes flaming with a burning determination, the smile still on his face, his hair still wet and his tie hopping around from his sudden movement. And that all just for a birthday. Somehow, Hikaru's words sounded quite funny now, stating he was nothing, but still clearly enough to make the boy light up like that. He just couldn't help it but laughed.

"I'm sure you will," he answered.

Kaoru gave him a glare, knowing that he was being laughed at, but beamed at the compliment. If that was one, but Kaoru assumed it was. And if it wasn't, it was nice to think it was. He smiled his brightest smile.

The clock made an irritating, loud sound for Kaoru and suddenly his smile vanished. His eyes widened and he looked troubled.

"What's wrong?" Kyouya asked, and if he was surprised, there wasn't anything that showed.

"I… I have to go home now, right?" he shivered. "And then I'll have to talk to Hikaru and… and…"

He clenched his fist, looked to the ground and fought the pain. But it just didn't vanish.

"I don't want to hear him say that he hates me…" he whispered.

Kyouya looked at the boy, who was standing there so sadly and staring at the ground. Hikaru's actions and thoughts shot through his head again and he whished there was something he could do to make that weapon clear that Hikaru wouldn't hate him.

"I don't think he will," he started and took a step forward, gently placing a hand on Kaoru's shoulder.

Kaoru looked up at the sudden touch and blushed when he looked directly in the Shadow King's dark eyes. And there was no light to hide the way his eyes stood, no cold expression. There was only that soft look, that look that he never saw, that look that told him it was alright. He just stared into those eyes, feeling lost and found at the same time. He didn't know what was happening, but somehow his cold body warmed up a little, his not-existing heart beat a little faster. The touch on his shoulder burned, tingled, sent something happy and warm and ticklish through his whole body. And then there were those kind words. Those words that made Kaoru want to cry, but didn't make him sad.

"I think he's just confused and he doesn't want to see you hurt. But I don't believe he'll ever hate you. I don't believe he can. He loves you, Kaoru, maybe more then good for both of you… That's what I think…" he smiled.

Kaoru didn't know what to answer, couldn't even mutter 'thank you'. So he just stared, continued to stare. And then he did something completely unexpected. He couldn't even comprehend it.

But he wrapped his arms around Kyouya and hugged him, laid his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes. Kyouya's eyes widened, but he couldn't see. For a few moments he stood there, not knowing what to do, not knowing if he really wanted to allow someone to come this close. This close.

To step over those lines he so carefully made. To break that wall he so discreetly built. To break through the barriers, to find a way to his heart.

But if it was Kaoru, then he guessed it was okay. If it was Kaoru, everything would end up alright. So he lifted up his arms and hugged the boy back. He felt cold and he had to suppress a shiver, had to fight the tears, thinking that he really had to do something about that. Weapons feel cold. He didn't really like it when he was reminded that Kaoru was a weapon. He didn't like being reminded of what he did to this boy. That boy that could look so completely vulnerable and still so strong. That boy that could make his heart beat just a little, just a little faster and made him revise his opinion just a little. Just a little. But still enough.

'_You are nothing.'_

Kaoru laughed, but still held onto Kyouya, like he was the only thing connecting him to being human.

"What?" Kyouya merely whispered, somehow his voice not wanting to go any louder.

"Your heart is beating so fast," Kaoru smiled, "and you feel warmer."

"Is that so?" he simply answered.

Kaoru took a step back and his eyes were shining with something that made Kyouya smile, for some weird, unexplainable reason. Kaoru nodded happily. He looked at the clock once more and smiled then: "Thank you. I have to go now. I'll see you on school then. I'll pick you up on… uhm… let's say four o'clock, Saturday then, I mean. Bye-Bye!"

And then he gave him a last smile and pushed open the door, walked outside and left Kyouya alone, to wonder about what exactly that was he was feeling. And for once, he really wished he wouldn't know. His cheeks felt hot and for some reason he couldn't help it but **stare **at the back of the younger boy. He shivered. No… no… he couldn't be. That would totally mess everything up. He turned away, almost tearing his eyes away from that boy walking away. Almost forcing himself to think that really, there was **nothing **cute about Kaoru.

And that smile… that… didn't mean something either. Nothing. Completely nothing. Since Kyouya never hugged anyone before, he could tell himself so easily that it was just **supposed **to be that way. Just… He sighed. He shook his head. Fooling himself would also be stupid. It happened and he couldn't turn that back anymore.

Maybe, just maybe… he fell in love with Kaoru. Just maybe, he fell in love with a weapon. He shivered. And now? What did he have to do now? He looked at the empty room, listened to the sound the clock made. He clenched his fist. Love would only screw everything up.

It wasn't like he loved Kaoru, no. This had to be just a crush. Just a stupid thing he felt but would fade away. There is no such a thing as a weapon that could be loved. Which idiot would actually love a weapon? That would be idiotic, foolish, almost disgusting. Kaoru wasn't even human anymore. He was cold, hard metal, his organs replaced by cables and chips, his heart replaced by a battery. He was nothing but a weapon. Nothing but a tool.

No one could love someone like that. No one could. Kyouya didn't even feel disgust as he made up his mind and decided that Kaoru was just metal and couldn't be loved. He didn't even hate himself when he just told himself that that boy who always smiled, always laughed, always kept himself so strong, was nothing but a tool. He couldn't, because if he did he would have to admit that he failed.

Then he'd fail to keep his head cool, at any given time, at any given moment. Then he couldn't trust himself anymore, couldn't rely on the fact that he had everything under control. If he let his feelings play a role, then he'd be killed, for sure. He knew. He wouldn't survive if he loved that boy. Wouldn't survive if he loved that weapon.

So he put his heart away, broke it before it was shattered and dried his tears before they fell. He closed his eyes, felt the pain sting in his body, opened them again and saw how the world lost its colour. But it was better that way. It was better to kill yourself now, just to keep yourself from being killed. His heart couldn't survive anyway.

It wasn't like he ever hoped for a change to be in love or to be loved, it wasn't like he didn't know this day would come, but now it did it just… hurt a little. Hurt a little more then he thought it would. He walked away, closing the door behind him, leaving his heart and his love behind him.

One last time, he allowed himself to think about that smile, to think about that boy, to feel. And then he put it all away. Then he froze himself inside, rebuilt the walls, higher and stronger then before. Love wasn't meant for him.

'_You'll never know what love is.'_

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Kaoru walked through the cold streets. Houses were ruined, but the closer he came to his own house, how more peaceful everything looked. He smiled, even when he was so deathly afraid of coming home and hearing how hurt Hikaru was. He didn't want to explain, didn't want to tell Hikaru that they ripped out his heart, that they turned his body into metal, that he killed countless of innocent people. He didn't want to see those tears sliding over his cheeks. He wanted to protect Hikaru.

Then why, why was it that he always ended up hurting him?

It must be faith, must be that dreadful thing called 'destiny.' Kaoru's steps sounded over the empty streets, as the world grieved in silence. This was only the silence before another storm and the earth didn't dare to breathe anymore. The world suppressed a shudder as Kaoru slowly walked home. He slowly pushed open the gates, looked at his feet as he reached the door. For a few moments he just stood there, thinking about what to say.

'Hey, Hikaru. I'm back. Even though I'll be killing again tonight, I'm back.'

Kaoru wanted to throw up and run away, but he couldn't. He couldn't leave Hikaru. So with all the courage his inhuman body held, he pushed open the door and walked inside. His steps became more and more accurate as his mind raced at top speed, just to find something to say. Thousands of remarks and words, even just sounds came to mind, but when he finally pushed open the door and faced the back of his twin, staring outside the window, nothing came.

Nothing came. Just silence.

And the screeching door made such an awful sound, Kaoru's shoulders shocked upward. Then he stood there and he looked, standing in the doorway, not sure he was even allowed to enter. He knew Hikaru noticed him, but he didn't turn around. His eyes were still fixed on the window.

"Hey…" was the only thing Kaoru could come up with.

"Kaoru," was the only answer he got. "Close the door."

And Kaoru did, happy that he could still step inside his room. He closed the door and slowly took of his jacket, laying it carefully, soundless on a chair and walked to Hikaru.

"H-Hikaru?" he asked, he begged.

Hikaru slowly turned around. He wanted to scream, to do something, but when he saw how sorrowful his twin stood there, he just kept silent. Kaoru stared, looked at his feet, trembled slightly. The air cried at the tension between the boys. There never had to be a tension like that. Never. They weren't meant to just look at each other. But the words didn't come.

"Please don't hate me…" was all Kaoru said after some time.

He should. Hikaru should've hated him with every little piece of his soul. Should've hated him because he kept a secret, because he lied, because he changed, because he didn't tell him as the first thing. But he just couldn't. There was no way he could ever hate Kaoru.

Hikaru's shoulders shook and suddenly he laughed. Just a little, just softly, but he laughed. Kaoru's head jerked back up. His eyes widened as he asked full of indignation: "W-What's so funny?"

Hikaru took a step closer, took his twin's hand and smiled.

"I can't hate you," he then said. "You know that. You know that, right? Kaoru… I don't hate you… I just… I just don't get what's happening."

Without a further word, Kaoru's lips curled upward and the happiest look came upon his face. He pulled Hikaru closer, wrapped his arms around him and hugged him. He hid his face between his shoulder and neck, his nose touching his warm skin. Hikaru just pulled him even closer, gently stroke his hair. Words weren't needed. Hikaru couldn't hate Kaoru and Kaoru knew. That was because he couldn't hate Hikaru either. No matter what. No matter what he did. It was just impossible. Kaoru smiled, closed his eyes.

"I love you and nothing in this world can change that. Don't forget that."

This was their magic. It was how their world worked. The first words, the first seconds were all that mattered. After that, everything was said by gestures, smiles, sounds but no words, and thoughts. It was like they could read each other thoughts. There were signs. Their signs. The signs that only meant things to them.

"I love you too."

Kaoru was allowed to come into the room, so he was allowed to step back into their world. Kaoru was allowed to speak, so he was allowed to be who he was, no matter how wrong that person was. Kaoru was allowed to touch him, so he was allowed to be with him.

Hikaru didn't like to be touched. Only when Kaoru touched it was okay. Kaoru didn't mind, but when it was Hikaru it was different.

Hikaru was just different. Just different from everyone else. Just different from those idiots. Just… just that little more.

Hikaru didn't step away, didn't softly push him away, but just said: "So… what's going on? I mean, really… you have no idea how freaking weird that was. Just like I was trapped inside a Science-Fiction movie. Ew. I hate Science-Fiction."

Kaoru laughed and stepped away, hopping on the bed. Hikaru sat down next to him and laughed as well. And then it was gone. The pain was gone. Maybe it was because they weren't used to being awkward around each other that they pretended like it was nothing serious. Whatever could get between them was eliminated. No matter how impossible that seemed. So, Hikaru pretended not to be hurt and Kaoru pretended not be sorry. So, they joked and laughed and were like they used to be again. Time will change things and Hikaru would adapt. Hikaru would adapt if it was about Kaoru. Because he loved Kaoru. More then anything.

More then anyone.

"It's hard to explain, really… Well, basically you could say they changed my body into a weapon," and for some reason he smiled while he said that.

It was because Hikaru was there. And he loved Hikaru. As long as there was Hikaru, there was light. As long as there was light, there was hope. As long as there was hope, there was love. As long as there was love, Kaoru would love and would be alive. Then he'd smile. He'd always smile to Hikaru, no matter how bad the situation got.

Because Hikaru was doing the same.

"Oh, now I get it," he replied sarcastic.

He didn't want to hear anything anymore. He didn't want to listen how Kaoru would eventually cry again, so he pushed him on the bed and laughed. Kaoru laughed as well, as he tugged Hikaru with him in his fall. Hikaru fell on his chest and Kaoru wrapped his arms around him.

Hikaru ignored the scent of blood. Hikaru ignored the way his twin felt so cold. Hikaru ignored the fact he couldn't even hear a heartbeat, even when he was this close. Hikaru ignored the way things were wrong. Hikaru ignored how the world crumbled down and just laughed.

For now, just knowing that Kaoru was back, was enough. For now, just being with Kaoru was enough.

"Kaoru?" he said after a while.

"Hm? What's the matter?" he answered back.

"Can you promise me something?"

"… What is it?" Kaoru looked at the ceiling.

"Can you promise me that when I'll wake up, you'll still be there?"

For a moment Kaoru stayed silent. Then he pressed his brother closer, closer and closed his eyes. Knowing he'd be lying, knowing nothing was sure, the words still left his lips so easily: "yes. I can promise you that. And I will."

Hikaru smiled. Kaoru smiled back. And everything was fine again, because they were together.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Some wounds heal slowly. Some wounds don't heal at all. Hikaru didn't know what his wounds were doing. He did know that they were ripped open and salted again when his brother told him he'd be out with Kyouya that Saturday. Somehow, it felt like he was completely backstabbed. Like he was pushed away and **replaced. **And why Kyouya, why him, after Hikaru told him so angrily that Kaoru would never like him. Kaoru made him look like a fool. Maybe he was just jealous. But it wasn't wrong, right? He just didn't want his little, precious, innocent, oh so cute twin going out with that calculating jerk. That was only common sense. Everyone would feel like that. Haruhi didn't seem to believe it. She raised her brow at the hurt, angry expression on Hikaru's face.

"Really, what's the problem? So what if Kaoru goes out with Kyouya? You're dating me, right?" and that last sounded a little firmer then she wanted.

Hikaru looked up.

"It's just wrong," he stated. "Just complete and utterly wrong."

"Why don't you support him a little?" she asked, somehow getting more easily annoyed then normal.

"… You don't understand…" Hikaru sighed. "I just don't like it."

Haruhi was sitting on the side of the bed, Hikaru nervously pacing up and down the room. Kaoru was still in another room, trying to get the right outfit. Hikaru however, had always a comment on his clothes, secretly hoping Kaoru wouldn't go at all.

"It's just for his birthday. It isn't like he's in love with Kyouya or anything," Haruhi said in an attempt to calm the furious boy.

"But KYOUYA?! **Kyouya **of all people!" Hikaru looked like he was going to smash something into thousand of little pieces.

"Even Kyouya has a birthday, you know," Haruhi rolled her eyes, a little afraid of the twin's state. "Why is it okay that you date someone and isn't it okay that Kaoru does something for someone else's birthday? That's selfish, isn't it? That's rude too, and unfair."

"Wha-" Hikaru turned around, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the girl.

His clenched his fists, shaking furiously, staring and glaring at the brown haired girl on the edge of his bed. Her words hit her like a knife, twisting and stabbing and the worst was that she seemed to enjoy it, even when she was so good at hiding it. He wanted to bite something back, scowl her, take all that pain out on her, but the door flung open.

"And what about this?" Kaoru opened the door again and stepped inside, smiling happily.

He was wearing a black T-shirt, under that something with long, red sleeves. On the black T-shirt, with multiple zippers for an unexplainable reason were white lines, drew through each other, making a wary, yet cool design on the T-shirt. His pants were a dark red colour, with a lot of pockets.

"That's too-" but Haruhi gave him a dirty look and Hikaru said: "That looks great. Don't you think, Haruhi?"

"Sure," she answered. "When were you going to pick him up, Kaoru?"

"About four o'clock," he said. "Why?"

"Then I'd hurry," Haruhi said and pointed at the clock.

Kaoru looked as well, almost jumping up.

"Shoot! I'm going to be late! Bye!" he quickly turned around, waved a last time, grabbed a bag standing by the door, the content unknown and then disappeared out of the door.

Hikaru watched him leave. Haruhi looked at the hurt, almost confused look in his eyes, and she felt something freezing inside. She shivered. Hikaru stared down, then looked up and forced a smile.

His voice never sounded so hollow when he said: "Okay, let's have some fun! What are we going to do?"

Haruhi felt a sting in her heart. Why, why wasn't she good enough for him? Why didn't he really love her? Why was he only using her to forget… to forget who he really loved?

And why did the one he really loved have to be his own twin?

Haruhi shivered again.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

Kyouya paced up and down nervously. For some reason he just couldn't concentrate. The clock gave 3.58 PM and every second again he looked at it. His sister, Fuyumi, who was rummaging through his drawers, a habit she had when she came, laughed at his nervous behavior.

"What's that with you?" she smiled. "Nervous for your date?"

Kyouya stood still. "It isn't a date."

She laughed again.

"It's merely a celebration of my birthday," another look at the clock.

"So, who's the girl you're da-… who you're going to celebrate your birthday with?" she asked, placing some clothes on the ground.

"Not a girl," Kyouya simply answered. "And his name is Kaoru. Kaoru Hitachiin. It was all his idea anyway."

"Oh… I see," she smiled.

"… Fuyumi-nee-san… could you please not –" but he didn't end that sentence as he heard a maid calling his name, stating someone was waiting outside.

"Have fun," his sister laughed and Kyouya gave her a smile, before walking to the door.

Kaoru waved at him, and the maids couldn't help but exchanged meaningful looks as their cold Kyouya-sama walked towards that boy and a warm smile came upon his face and he said: "Hey."

"Hey!" Kaoru smiled. "Let's go!"

Kyouya nodded and stepped outside. The door was closed behind him and suddenly he noticed how dark it was.

"Do you have any idea what we're going to do?" Kyouya asked, shivering a little through the cold. "And where's the bag for?"

Kaoru smiled.

"That's a surprise," he said mysteriously.

"I don't like surprises," Kyouya murmured.

Kaoru laughed happily. He turned to look at Kyouya and his eyes were shining like the sun. Kyouya couldn't do anything else then just smile back and inside he felt like something was breaking down, but for the first time he wasn't scared of it breaking away. It didn't matter if he couldn't control everything, because it was Kaoru. Kaoru could take on the world. Kaoru wouldn't let anyone get hurt. Kaoru was someone to be trusted. And his smile changed everything.

Suddenly, like it was the most natural thing, like it was meant to happen, Kaoru slid his hand in Kyouya's. He laughed again and started telling a story, not really because it was important, but Kyouya learned that not everything said should be important. It was nice to just listen to someone else's voice too. He looked at their hands, his hand now just as cold as Kaoru's. The cold bit in their body, the wind playing with their hair.

The wall was slowly breaking.

Kaoru kept walking and talking, leading Kyouya through empty streets. Kyouya just followed, knowing asking where they would go wouldn't receive an answer. And for now, he was fine with this, just walking around with Kaoru, just listening to his voice, just being together and for once, for the first time in his whole life, not being alone on his birthday. Not being alone at all.

The wall was crumbling down.

Some houses were ruined, but they ignored it, looked right past the misery, ignored the silent cries of the earth. For once, the misery of the earth had nothing to do with them. Around them, the world was just beautiful, just like it used to be. There was no misery when they were together. Kaoru smiled. The bag in his hand made a rumbling noise. Kyouya didn't know what to say, so he continued listening. He didn't know how to voice that feeling in his chest, didn't know how to voice the way his heart beat so much faster, how the voice the way he liked being around Kaoru.

He just didn't know how to tell Kaoru that he loved him.

He didn't even know whether he wanted to say that or not. It wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. It would probably be the dumbest thing to do, considering their situation. Besides, there was no guarantee that Kaoru loved him back. So it was a stupid risk, with a considerable greater amount of drawbacks then benefits. No, he wouldn't say it. For now, he'll just stick around a little longer, just watch him smile a little longer.

It had to be enough. It would be enough.

"Kyouya?"

He looked up, noticed that Kaoru lead him to a rather big lake, now frozen by the cold. A thick, strong looking layer of ice formed at the surface. Kaoru put the bag on the ground.

"Can you ice-skate?" and he looked up grinning.

"Of course," he said, as he looked around.

They were standing in some kind of wood, tall trees standing as guardians, filtering the light with their branches, the leaves gone. The moon shined in all it's beautiful glory and watched down, smiled at the two boys, the one carefully inspecting his surroundings, the other happy because he seemed to have chosen something good. It was like a place ripper out of a fairytale. For some odd reason Kyouya almost expected little fairies to come and dance on the ray of pale, silver light the moon gave. The world was still beautiful here, untouched, unharmed, just… perfect. The lake seemed to glow, seemed to reflect the silvering light. Kaoru got his ice-skates on, handed a pair over to Kyouya. He didn't speak, afraid words would break the magic lingering in this place.

In silence Kyouya got in his ice-skates, not even surprised that it was the correct size. He just looked at Kaoru, who tried his best at not falling, as he tried out how strong the ice was. For a second Kyouya thought about saying that he had to be careful, that if he fell through the ice he might drown, but then he remember he could fly, that he was the ultimate weapon. Kaoru was perfectly fine. Kaoru was perfectly happy as he was now. Kyouya carefully tested out the strength of the ice, just to be sure, and when he thought it was strong enough, he elegantly slid over the ice towards Kaoru, who was smiling brightly and even added more to the magic of the landscape.

Maybe Kaoru was that kind of fairy, not dancing on the ray of light the moon shined down, but dancing on the ice, turning and laughing, his voice filling the cold air and warming up his hair. Maybe Kaoru was that fairy to bring him some love.

"Maybe we should do this for the Host Club too," Kaoru laughed.

He made a pirouette, and Kyouya smiled a little at his enthusiasm. Kaoru stood next to him in an instant, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, his other hand flying through the sky as he said, his voice as picked out of a commercial: "Host Club, Dancing on Ice."

He laughed again, his happiness seemed to be unstoppable. Kyouya just smiled a little, nothing more then the corners of his lips curling a little upward, as he said: "And were are we going to find a rink?"

"… Don't spoil the fun!" Kaoru laughed, playfully pushing him.

Kyouya was caught of guard, the ice more slithery he thought it would be and he fell backwards, pulling Kaoru along in his fall. The both boys fell on the large lake, Kaoru on top of Kyouya, his leg between his. Their foreheads bumped and for a slight second, Kyouya could almost feel soft lips touching his. Kaoru's hands lay next to his head and he looked up, blinking a few times.

"Oh, S-Sorry…" Kaoru blushed, looking away.

"It's okay…" Kyouya answered back, his face still only an inch or so separated from Kaoru's.

All the resolve seemed to fade.

And it didn't matter that they were lying on ice. It didn't matter that this world was at war and in pain. It didn't matter that the cold bit in their flesh, cut in their bodies. It didn't matter that they were both boys and this was a most suggestive position. It didn't matter that Kaoru didn't even tried to get up and Kyouya didn't even protest.

All that mattered was that Kaoru's face was still too far from his. Still too far away. He smiled a little, making Kaoru blush more, as he clumsily tried to get up, but only made it worse. After a few moments he stopped. Kyouya ignored the cold that made his back numb.

Love returned and his heart lived again.

"You're so warm," Kaoru suddenly said, his chest still laying on Kyouya's and their legs still entwined. "And your heart beats so fast."

But Kyouya thought it wasn't even necessary to be a weapon to hear that. His heart was beating so loudly, so fast that he thought everyone in the whole world could hear it. Of course, if he thought about it rationally he knew that wasn't possible, but this wasn't a time to think rationally. This was a time to not think at all.

There was no way he could fight against love.

It wasn't the smartest thing to do. It was probably the dumbest thing he ever did, but Kyouya laid his hand on the back of Kaoru's head, his soft hair feeling nice. Kaoru's eyes widened a bit.

Kyouya couldn't say that the reason his heart beat so fast was because of him. He couldn't say that the reason he felt so warm even when it was so cold, was because of him. Kyouya couldn't say that everything he had been doing for a long time now, was for Kaoru. He couldn't tell him how much he meant to him. He couldn't tell how happy he was.

So he just kept silent, pulled the boy even closer. Kaoru's eyes widened even more, but he didn't protest. He just let it happen. The moon watched.

Kyouya's smile widened.

Gone were the walls, lost was the fight. Love won after all.

"Thank you," he said.

And then his lips met the soft ones of Kaoru. Eyes widened even more, slid shut then and the cold disappeared. Maybe this was the fairytale that belonged to this place. Maybe this was the magic that fairy Kaoru spread.

But Kyouya didn't care anyway. He pulled the boy closer, deepened their kiss and Kaoru obediently, willingly followed. Everything seemed to fall into place. Everything seemed to be right. The world was healed again and Kaoru was human. He was so much more human then most humans were. Kaoru wasn't just a weapon; he was the most beautiful person in the world. And Kyouya didn't care about the problems he would get now he fell so badly in love with this weapon. For now, he didn't want to think that this was meant to break.

Because right now, in that very moment, he never felt more alive then he ever did before.

Kaoru almost wanted to cry, just because it felt so good that someone had accepted him. Kyouya didn't think of him as a weapon. Because you can't love a weapon and a weapon won't be able to return your feelings anyway. Kyouya didn't think he was just a filthy toy, just something to be used. For the first time, Kaoru forgot all the pain, all the misery, even the way he hurt Hikaru, and just smiled into the gently, magical kiss.

It was almost painful to part, to let go of those perfect lips, but they just had to. Or at least Kyouya had to, because he needed air, needed oxygen to fill his lungs. Kaoru could go on a very, very long time without it, even though he still wasn't designed yet to live completely without.

Kaoru looked down, just stared at Kyouya, the most beautiful smile on his face. Kyouya felt so warm, and his heart was still racing so fast, maybe even faster. Kaoru loved it when humans did those… human things. He loved to feel the warmth, because if he was close to it, his skin also seemed to glow a little, to regain a little warmth back.

Big, wet drops fell out of the sky. Kaoru startled. There must be a flaw in his programming for he did not see that coming. Or maybe it was just that he was too busy with looking at the boy under him that he didn't concentrate.

But still, even as a weapon he failed. Even as a weapon, a shiny piece of metal, he could do nothing right. He jumped up, smashed almost back, but used a magnetic field, which just happened all automatically, to keep him from falling. Back steady on his feet, he leaned over a little, giving Kyouya a hand to help him get up. The drops became bigger and bigger and it wasn't long before they were soaking. They quickly got their shoes back on and Kaoru gave him an apologetic smile: "Sorry. I swear I didn't hear that."

A wink and laugh followed.

"Must've been busy with something else," the rain poured down harder and harder, but Kaoru still seemed able to laugh another time.

"Let's go!" he said, before Kyouya even could react.

Kaoru grabbed his hand and lifted up the bag, where the ice-skates were neatly put back in, and started running, not at the speed he could easily reach, but so that Kyouya could follow. Kyouya's eyes were focused on his back, as he blindly followed him. The rain made his vision blurry, the drops dripping of his glasses. He didn't even know where they were going.

Puddles were formed easily as grey rain clouds released their fury on the world. Kaoru still laughed. He saw his house through the dark and smashed open the gates, ran a little further, Kyouya still following. He opened the door and got in. Once inside Kyouya had to catch his breath.

"You look like a drowned chicken," Kaoru laughed.

Kyouya just gave him a glare back.

"Come, you'll have to change clothes or you'll catch a cold," Kaoru smiled. "You can change upstairs, in my room."

And again he grabbed his hand, but this time he just walked. Kyouya just followed. Kaoru looked over his shoulder and smiled happily. He pushed the door open and he could hear Hikaru's music playing, signing him that Haruhi already left. He wondered why she didn't stay, since it was so clearly that there would be a thunderstorm. Hikaru could've comforted her when she was scared. He smiled again at Kyouya, setting his mind on something else. Kyouya walked inside and Kaoru closed the door again. With a smile he started to search something in his closet. Since he had a lot of clothes that were just a little too long for him, Kyouya should fit in them perfectly. He took some clothes and handed them over.

"Here you go," Kaoru smiled.

Kyouya took over the clothes, and Kaoru quickly turned around as Kyouya took of his jacket and his T-shirt. He barely noticed that his clothes, too, were soaked and wet. Instead he just looked awkwardly away, his cheeks glowing from a source of warmth he didn't know. He had no heart anymore, no blood running through his metal body. But still he felt some kind of warm, a little different. Kyouya watched his back as he quickly changed.

"Shouldn't you get changed too?" Kyouya asked and Kaoru turned around.

"Ah… yeah," he laughed. "Probably."

Kyouya gave him a small smile and stepped forward, his fingers slowly grabbing his jacket, sliding it off. Kaoru's eyes widened a little, and there was a light pink shine on his cheeks. Kyouya slowly leaned in, pressing his lips once more on Kaoru's. Kaoru kissed back, not even realizing how Kyouya's hands slid down his sides, under the edge of his T-shirt. Stepping back, still smiling he quickly pulled the T-shirt over Kaoru's head, who clumsily put his arms up. The long sleeved T-shirt he was wearing under it, followed soon. Kyouya turned around, his lips still on Kaoru's, so that now Kaoru's back was facing the side where the bed stood. There was that sparkle in his eye, that smirk that meant **something, **but Kaoru couldn't lay his finger on. He took a few small steps backward, Kyouya still smirking inside the kiss. Kaoru felt something hitting the backside of his leg and before he knew it he laid there. Laid there, with Kyouya on top of him. His eyes widened again.

Kyouya just smiled, breaking apart for a while.

"Ah… before I forget…"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow.

"Happy birthday," Kaoru smiled happily. "Actually, I bought you a present… it's in my pocket."

Kyouya's hands slid in his pockets and Kaoru looked away, feeling something, something that made breathing difficult, something that made him forget about the world, something that made him a little embarrassed, somehow. Kyouya found the present, neatly wrapped in a colourful paper.

"This?" he asked to be sure.

"Uhu," Kaoru smiled again. "Open it! Open it!"

Kyouya carefully unwrapped the present. He laid the paper on Kaoru's night table, holding a purple box in his hands. There was a little white paper glued to it, which was clearly not there originally. It held Kaoru's curly handwriting, stating in blue letters: "Because I'll Always Think Of You."

Kyouya looked up, Kaoru still smiling back. He was a little hesitant to open the little box, his eyes still lingering at the white paper with the sweet words. He smiled, feeling more alive, happier, sadder, feeling **more **then he ever did before. Slowly, he opened the box, staring at a necklace, with a little green bell. Kyouya looked up again, raising his eyebrow.

Kaoru pushed himself up, leaning on one arm. He took the necklace out the box and put it on.

"It's said that if you wear the necklace, with every time the bell rings, the one you love the most will think of you and protect you. With that, you'll never be alone," he smiled, his hand on Kyouya's chest, the bell under it.

"Thank you…" Kyouya merely whispered.

Kaoru smiled, wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him again. Kyouya softly pushed him back on the bed. He smiled. This was the most beautiful birthday he ever had. The bell ringed happily, felt cold each time it touched his skin, but Kyouya didn't even think of taking it off. It wasn't long before the misery of the world was forgotten, because those soft lips kept kissing him over and over again. The world was at peace, the world was happy and there was nothing wrong. They were happy. They were happy together.

In the doorway, peeking through a small fissure, the door more closed then not, Hikaru stood, his hand on the door frame side. His eyes couldn't look away from what he was seeing. Tears slid over his cheeks. Tears fell and Kaoru didn't notice. Hikaru turned away and walked to his own room again. Forgotten were the words he wanted to say, forgotten was the way he wanted to hold his twin. Gone was the happiness he could share his twin's world, gone was that feeling of hope he held.

The feeling of hate returned. He was replaced. Kaoru only belonged to him.

Hikaru looked up.

Kaoru belonged to him. Kaoru loved him. No one else. No, never. He hid his face in the blankets, but could not sleep. There was one thought repeating in his mind over and over again. This was wrong. This was completely wrong. They weren't meant to love anyone else. Kaoru wasn't supposed to love someone else.

Kaoru belonged to him. And he belonged to Kaoru.

This was their love story. Kaoru was his princess and he was his prince, without doubt, without failure. No one was supposed to intrude in that. No one could come between that. This was their love story.

And Hikaru would make sure it had a happy ending for both of them.

**X - - ::……………………………………..…..:: - - X**

* * *

**Thnx to Hoenn for BETA'ing!**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**

I'm sorry -and you're probably happy- but I can't write more here. With all the holidays and stuff, I barely had the time to update this, but since you all waited more then long enough, I did anyways. Sorry for the long wait!


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